Nine to Five
by sugarapplesweet
Summary: Veterans of the corporate world will often tell aspiring business owners that "a business is only as good as its employees." If that's the case, then Moon Industries might be in for some serious trouble... Drama isn't limited to the weekend, after all!
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** Oddly enough, this idea began with a conversation about underwear... and then it just built up from there. XD However, I've put a _lot_ of thought into how this story is going to work, so I'm really excited!

Now, first off I should tell you that this is an office 'parody' set in an Alternate Universe, and although there are Harvest Moon characters, not _all_ of them will be making an appearance.

A big thanks goes out to _**essential apricot **_who not only told me to go for it, but she also helped with nearly all of the development.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Harvest Moon characters or even the scenario. I just wanted to have some fun. XP

--

**Chapter One**

As a career woman, I can tell you a lot about life, and my first word of advice is... "If you're too damn scared to drive, get off the _fucking_ road!"

Gritting my teeth, I gripped the wheel and turned _hard_ to the left before jamming the gas pedal right to the floor. My engine roared as I tore around the outdated station wagon that had been dragging its ass at _thirty-five_ for the past three miles on the icy freeway. Of course it would have to be some old bitch which I only realized _after _I'd flipped her off. Still, I figured she'd seen enough of the gesture in her lifetime to justify any offense she might've taken.

_I_ sure as hell wasn't the first one to show it to her.

There's nothing special about being the head of a prestigious company. Sure, the pay is second to none, but the seemingly endless hours take their toll on a person. I was sure that I'd once had even been known to _smile_ on occasion before I started my climb up the financial ladder. Of course, I also didn't have to deal with hopeless idiots back then, either. Maybe that's where the bitterness of being a middle-aged woman truly begins. That might also explain my irritability, despite being twenty-eight for the past three years, since there seemed to be _plenty_ of stupidity these days. Hell, look at the past year...

The US economy plummets, not to mention the _rest_ of the world's, taking all those who followed both the stock _and_ housing markets blindly with it.

Call me cynical if you want, but I've been in the business world for over nine years which is more than enough time for me to learn to be skeptical of banks that hand out mortgages like free candy and stocks that keep rising with no explanation as to _why._ I guess that some people just deal with money as if it's all meant to be gambled away on impossible odds. Then again... I can be like that, too, since I can't ever seem to hold onto my own paycheck for long...

A venti, upside down, caramel macchiato with extra sauce from Starbucks, a private mani-pedi in my own pent-house apartment, a weekly massage by Antonio, and a bi-monthly tanning session take their toll on a woman's bank account when she _knows_ there are better things she _should_ be investing in. Come on now... I know those are important status symbols to being successful, but I can't help thinking that bills to pay and people to pay _off_ are more vital to keeping yourself ahead of the status quo. Sure, I might splurge on a black, Pucci designer shoulder bag for over a grand, but that kind of spending is only once every three months.

Hey, I worked _damn_ hard to get to the top, so I expect to be able to spend my money how I see fit from time to time.

Now, I strut around in the Italian designer suits and, yeah, I'm wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton pumps. None of that really matters, though, since I can _afford_ 'em. Besides, why would you buy something on the lower end of fashion when the more expensive things in life last _far_ longer than their cheaper alternatives? It's all about dressing yourself for success, and even as an ambitious young lady, I knew how to dress the part. My higher ups certainly thought well of me while I paraded around in my fitted blazers and snug skirts, and if I had to take some scrutiny from those beneath me, well...

Let's just say, I sure as hell didn't give a fuck about them once I got that promotion I'd been after.

Squealing into the parking lot on two tires, I cursed once again to find it was completely _empty_ save for my own red Mercedes Benz_._ I guess I should've expected it since none of my employees were anything but deadbeats to begin with, but dammit, I expected at least _one_ of them to care. Most of these son of a bitches that work for me are nothing more than people waiting for a handout, though, so I suppose it's simply in their nature to do their best to piss me off. Luckily for them, it doesn't take much to get me going.

"Why... good morning to you, Ms. Hart!" a bright and chipper voice greeted me as I stormed through the front door. I snapped my head to see Elli, my personal secretary, smiling up at me with all the innocence of the world in those wide, doe eyes of hers, and for only a moment, I felt my stress level plummet. However, soon enough my jagged self returned in full force with an edgy reply.

"Tell me what the hell's so damn 'good' about it?" I growled in disgust before heading straight for my office. She merely trailed after me, her delicate feet tapping out a little tune with those kitten heels of hers, and without even glancing behind me, I knew she already had her clipboard in hand at the ready to jot any notes down as they flew from my mouth. She was always such a darling thing the way she tottered after me like some lost puppy. Only God knows how she could put up with a bitch like me and _still_ be able to smile...

"I suppose that traffic was terrible today," she offered, her light laughter rising above my sour mood. I glanced up from the paperwork on my desk, which was neat and orderly to my approval, and as I studied her, I just had to give her a rare smile. _Conservative as always,_ I mused while eyeing her light blue, pencil skirt and white turtleneck. She was so damn sweet that it was almost sickening.

_Almost..._ but not quite.

"You have _no_ idea," I huffed, leaning back in my suede chair and rocking back and forth gently. She waited expectantly for me to continue, and I found myself giving it all up to her. Must have been that imploring, sympathetic gaze of hers that always seemed to break me down in situations like this. "You know how it is..." I began with a heavy sigh, lighting a cigarette which caused her to frown slightly. I caught her sneak a glance over towards a small sign that clearly read 'No Smoking,' but I didn't give a shit. This was _my_ office, after all. "Some old bag decides to take a Sunday drive when for the rest of us it's just another workday," I continued to explain.

"Well, isn't it better for her to be out and about than wasting away at home?" Elli asked cheerfully. I just rolled my eyes which made her giggle. "Please excuse me, Ms. Hart," she apologized soon after she noticed I was staring, "but you're always so _serious."_

"Don't worry about it," I assured her as I brushed aside a stray lock of her light brown hair. She immediately blushed, but I simply smiled up at her. It seemed I was never able to smile unless she was here with me. I honestly didn't know what I'd do without her since she was the only one who could get through my jaded self...

"Are you excited to get started on our latest project?" an eager voice asked, suddenly manifesting in the entryway just outside my door. I couldn't help but groan to hear it, but my assistant merely continued to smile as she waved to the pair that were making their way inside from the winter's chill. "Oh!" the young woman squealed, returning the friendly gesture with gusto. "Good morning, Elli!" she cheered until catching sight of me glowering at her from my desk. "Ah... hello to you, too, M-Ms. Hart," she added quickly, twirling a strand of her long, blonde hair around her slender finger while she bit her lip nervously.

"Claire... Gray," I greeted them with a curt nod, noting the sullen man behind her as well. "I see you two finally decided to show up on time for once," I scoffed, glancing towards the clock that hung on the wall. She immediately blushed and tried to scurry past my office, but he remained in the open doorway, scowling at me. _"Yes?"_ I purred venomously at him. Although he was dressed quite well in a green button-down and a pair of khaki slacks, I still frowned to see he was trouncing around the office in those god awful work boots of his...

"Just wanted to say that it's pretty damn hard to show up on time when you're overworked and underpaid as it is," he remarked bitterly. I heard his companion scolding him gently for speaking so harshly to me, and after he shot something equally nasty back at her, he finally dragged his sorry ass out of my sight.

"Oh dear..." Elli sighed, shaking her head with dismay. "It seems that Mr. Smith is in a rather irritable mood again today..."

"When _isn't_ that ungrateful bastard complaining?" I challenged with a snort. However she didn't pay any mind to my scathing comment which was strange considering how she always clucked her tongue disapprovingly towards the others in this less than happy bunch we had around here. I certainly wasn't the _only_ one with a bad attitude although I suppose I _was_ the boss, and therefore, I was excluded from any of her negative opinions towards swearing and the like. Still, I wasn't exactly convinced that that was the case.

After all, none of my _other_ employees offered me any respect.

Speaking of which... I couldn't help but notice our resident lone wolf slipping in, stealthy as always. His fairly long, silver hair masked his face, but it didn't take much to recognize him. This was especially true when one considered his slightly slouched posture was more than enough for anyone to tell who happened to be in our midst. I was also sure his completely black ensemble from his unusually sophisticated boots to his button-down would set him apart from the rest of our mangy pack. He didn't bother to acknowledge us as he silently made his way past my office, yet I can't say I expected anything less of him.

Vaughn was just not meant to be social which, quite frankly, might've been what I liked best about the man.

"Mornin'!" I winced in pain as two overly familiar, tanned faces showed themselves in my doorway. _Dammit... why did have to be __them__..._ I thought sorrowfully while my already aching brain began to ram itself against my skull due to their mere _presence_. Elli simply gazed down at me pitifully before making soothing circles on my back, and I set my head on the desk in defeat. _Of all the shit I __already__have to put up with... It has to be __them__._

"Not feelin' too well, Chief?" one of the two miscreants asked, raising an eyebrow at my distressed state. I glanced up and shot him a nasty glare for being so damn annoying first thing in the morning. Then, in a rather cruel and unnecessary gesture, I waved a small pink slip at him as a warning. He immediately paled and pulled his _ridiculous _bandanna over his eyes only to disappear down the hallway back to the mail room where he _belonged_.

"Hey now, Grace," the other chuckled, "you don't have to be so harsh on the ol' boy, you know." I just continued to glower at the man. This one, too, wore a bandanna in the same damn shade of purple, but somehow, I didn't find it nearly as nerve grating as his partner's...

"Kai," I sighed heavily, lifting my head and accepting a glass of water and a couple aspirin from the ever dutiful Elli, "you _know_ you're supposed to address me as 'Ms. Hart...'" He just blinked a couple of times before he threw back his head and laughed. I inwardly groaned and threw myself back into my chair, _praying_ that this idiot would just leave me the hell _alone_ for one god damn-

"What do you say about joining me for dinner tonight then, _Miss_ Grace?" he asked, clearly undeterred by my obvious annoyance with him. When I didn't reply, due to being too shocked that he'd have the _audacity_ to ask me on a date _now _of all times, he sauntered straight into my office with that over-confident swagger of his. Really... although the man was about as _obnoxious_ as you could get, I hated to admit that he was rather good-looking. 'Tall, dark, and handsome' immediately came to mind if a person caught a glance of him.

Regardless of his meager paycheck, he always seemed to have the best, tailor-made suits which fit him precisely where they should. He also had good taste in men's footwear, and they were usually buffed to perfection, too. If I didn't know him as well as I did, he'd appear to be the prime example of a well-kept businessman, but sadly, that bandanna of his continued to distract from any merit the rest of his attire might've offered him. For reasons unknown to me, he and his 'brother' had decided that they should both wear the forlorn things despite how unprofessional those unsightly rags were.

Even so, I'd given up on trying to convince the troublesome pair not to wear them to work... or even, at the very least, not in _my_ presence.

"I don't believe that's an appropriate question during work hours," I replied in something akin to a snarl. He sat on my desk and planted his hand directly on top of my paperwork before leaning in uncomfortably close to my face. His cat-like grin was almost predatory as his usually warm, brown eyes dangerously glinted at me.

Unfortunately for him, _I_ happened to have a guardian angel in a pencil skirt looking out for me today.

"Although I'm certain Ms. Hart would accept your invitation, Mr. Makani," Elli began nervously which brought his unnerving gaze towards her instead and caused the poor girl to shiver. "I-I've already invited her over to _my_ place for dinner tonight," she explained quickly, hiding the blush that was creeping across her cheeks behind her clipboard. His eyes softened slightly, and I struggled to keep myself from sighing in relief.

"Oh, well," he chuckled, righting himself, "I suppose I'll have to wait for another night when she's free then." As an afterthought, he soon added playfully, "Or maybe I'll just take _you_ out on a date, Miss Baker." Then he winked in my direction, like he was hoping I might be jealous of his flirtatious antics towards my flustered secretary. However, he didn't leave us in peace until he managed to put in one last word for his friend, "And please don't tease Denny like that, Grace... You lay him off enough as it is without threatening him with a pink slip just to scare the poor boy."

Without another word, he was, thankfully, gone.

_"Finally..."_ I sighed as I flopped back into my chair. Dealing with him was nothing short of _exhausting... _Whenever that sly bastard waltzed into the room, I felt like my heart was going to either freeze up and die or beat so damn fast it burst, and for the _life_ of me, I just couldn't explain _why_ he had such a powerful effect on me in the first place. Apparently, Elli had been wondering this as well after she got a hold of herself again.

"If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Hart," she mused, nibbling on the end of her pen thoughtfully, "why haven't you _fired_ him?" I just glanced up at her in shock and sighed once more.

"To be honest, Elli, I have no fucking clue," I muttered in frustration while burying my face in my hands. However, I knew _damn_ well why I hadn't kicked his ass to the curb, and almost instinctively, my hand hovered over my bottom drawer before I managed to rein myself in. I didn't want to think about it. Now or _ever_.

"Just looks like it's going to be one of those damn days..."


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

"You really shouldn't mess around with the boss like that," my friend warned me while idly browsing through that's morning's incoming mail. I only raised an eyebrow in reply before taking a casual sip of my coffee, but he wouldn't even glance up at me. The heavy silence which followed grated my nerves something awful, and soon enough I was impatiently drumming my fingers on his desk. He didn't complain, though; he just continued to go about his job in his usual, though somewhat troubling, laid-back manner like always. Finally, he began to explain himself further despite me not even bothering to ask why in the first place. "Because when she gets mad at _you,_ she ends up firing _me,"_ he groaned, shaking his head in defeat.

"She's just stressed out is all," I insisted, pushing around a few envelopes that appeared to be for a 'Miss Clarice Muller.' I smiled lazily upon reading the name, but it disappeared rather quickly to keep Denny from catching a glimpse of it. He didn't need to _everything_ about me regardless of how chummy we'd become...

"Well," he chuckled, "why don't you help her out with that, Kai?" Although his tone was slightly condescending, I could see the gears turning just behind that grin of his, and soon I found I was laughing quietly to myself as well. This kid didn't know how to quit when it came to these things, it seemed. I suppose it _could've_ been my fault since I'd corrupted him throughout these past four years with my legendary tales of conquest, but it was also about as close to a sex life as I think he'd ever get.

"I _would..."_ I replied with a wistful expression before giving it another once over. Then I added as an afterthought, "If she'd _let_ me, that is."

The young man snickered to hear that, yet he didn't say anything more while he started back on his work. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why _anyone_ would want to stay cooped in the mailroom as long as he did simply because it didn't seem to have much in the thrill factor.

Scanning the small space I found that I was about there not really being a whole lot that could possibly go on here, other than the occasional missing memo, and although I was sure that would cause _such_ a tragedy in the tranquillity that was our office, I still didn't see how a person could justify this kind of work. No offense to my young friend, but I could sort of understand why he was always the first one to be dropped off the employment registry whenever 'Ms. Heartless' happened to have a bad day.

He never looked like he was planning to stick around long anyway.

Ever since I'd first met him, he'd worn the same two, ill-fitted polos and the same pair of slate gray slacks to work. Both shirts, not to mention his pants, had probably never seen an ironing board in their lifetimes, and about the only real difference between his shirts was one was charcoal gray, though I had a sneaking suspicion it'd once been black, and the other was off-white.

Denny had apparently never been offered the phrase, 'Dress for the position you _want,_ not the one you have,' but quite frankly, he was doing neither all this time.

"Besides," I continued with a knowing grin, "even if I _did_ manage to convince her to cut you some slack, wouldn't you rather be out fishing?" He jerked his head up then from the various piles of mail on his desk, and a brilliant smile made its way across his youthful features. I swear his brown eyes had grown at the mere _thought_ of casting a line out into the open water which was somewhat amusing given how simple his 'dream' really was. I mean... _come on!_ He was dreaming about _fish_ for God's sake! If that can make a man happy, then maybe he _does_ deserve to be a mailroom clerk.

As if he could read my mind, his face fell slightly, and he laughed at his own wishful thinking. "It'd be a hell of a lot better than wasting away _here,"_ he argued which I had to admit was probably true. Maybe I didn't understand what was so wonderful about winning over a creature that couldn't even blink, but as long as he was happy with the thought, I guess my opinion didn't really matter. "Anyway, you make it sound like I'm obsessed."

"Denny," I began with a faint chuckle, "you bought a _fish finder_ the other day..."

"So?" he countered with a raised brow. "It's a highly efficient one, you know," he began with a dreamy, far off gaze, "_and_ I got it half off at Boater's World." I would've laughed right then if I didn't know how much it would hurt my companion's fragile ego. He was unbelievably easy to please, but there was one slight problem with his victorious purchase.

"What's the point of owning a fish finder if you don't even have the _boat_ to go with it?" I teased. His mouth fell open to reply, but soon after his face seemed to warm a little when he realized I was right. The poor guy...

"Can't I have at least _one_ dream without someone trying to ruin it for me?" he replied, sighing heavily while he started again on sorting out the day's new arrivals on his desk. I simply went back to reading the names of my coworkers until my gaze happened upon one in particular. Our 'Mr. Vaughn Matthews' rarely ever got anything in the mail, so of course it peeked my interest at first. However, my curiosity ultimately got the better of me after I realized that the return address was from the local courthouse as well, and I couldn't help but steal it away from my young friend. "Hey," he demanded, "what are you doing _now,_ Kai?"

"Just a little reconnaissance," I explained as I snatched up his letter opener off the desk. He didn't try to stop me as I went about defiling his sacred duty to get such things to their recipients, though, since he knew it was futile on his part. I was going to do what I wanted regardless of the consequences, and when you live life on the edge, you learn not to concern yourself with others and their problems. Unless, of course, you can pick up some real dirt on somebody.

Especially a prick like Vaughn...

"Oh _wow..."_ I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. I could see Denny's ears perk up to hear my overly cheerful tone despite his former attitude of indifference. "Listen to this," I began before clearing my throat, "'Mr. Matthews, your presence is hereby requested at the-'"

"Rubbing your nose into somebody else's business again, I see," a familiar voice growled just inside the open doorway. My gaze immediately shot up from the crisp, white paper to find I was under the piercing glare of two, peculiar violet eyes. However, unlike others who'd dealt with the man on numerous occasions, I merely smiled instead of cowering in submission under the weight of his heavy presence. Even so, I didn't object when he held out his hand for his confiscated material, and I, being the gentleman I am, gladly offered it back to him. Even so, his face became rigged and his jaw was set firmly in place when he put on his reading glasses and briefly scanned the document.

"How far did you get?" he snarled, his uncomfortable gaze never faltering over those authoritative, dark frames of his. If nothing else, the man knew how to intimidate someone. Even his black suit with the deep red tie was more than enough to give him the presence of power, yet I wasn't so easily placed under someone else's thumb. He'd have to do a hell of a lot more than just glare at me to bring me to my knees. Denny didn't flinch, either, since he'd dealt with Vaughn numerous times before as well.

The two were already well acquainted without having to work for the same company, after all.

"How far indeed..." I snickered while crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow just to tease him further. It seemed he was never one to be in the mood for playing games, of course, which was why I was so shocked to see him simply turn away from us instead of trying to throttle me for snooping through something I surely oughtn't have.

"You _do_ know it's a legal offense to open someone's mall, right?" he asked cooly, his confidence seeping through his icy words. I glanced up to see he was still glowering dangerously at me as if to dare me to try and give him a snarky remark, but I only laughed it off. He really was too much at times...

"Well then, I guess I'll see you at the courthouse next Wednesday," I replied with a self-assured smile. When he narrowed his eyes in annoyance, I added, if only to irk him further, "Remember to make it there by one as well." I heard the paper crumple slightly in his fierce grip as he kept himself from lashing out at me, undoubtably an achievement in itself. However, to both my companion's and my surprise he let it go fairly easily, and instead of taking a swing at me or some unfortunate object nearby, he simply stormed off down the hall towards his office. "He's such a tight ass," I snickered once he was out of earshot, turning back to face my friend.

"One of these days he's just going to deck you one," Denny warned me airily. He paused as if he was considering saying more, but he apparently thought better of it and stayed quiet. I only shrugged in reply since I highly doubted Vaughn was going to do anything about it. After all, if he hadn't gone postal on us yet, I figured he probably wouldn't any time soon, either, so that was something to be grateful for. "What was it about anyway?" the young man continued, scratching his head underneath his bandanna.

"Some domestic issue, I guess," I replied with another shrug. "Probably beating up his old lady or something..." Then, with a quick glance at the clock, I asked, "What do you say we eat at Shirley's for lunch? Our favorite waitress is going to be working today, you know."

"Just don't forget she's a married woman now," he chuckled. "I'd rather not get kicked out of there any time soon because of you decided to try and grab her ass again..."


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Hey, are you eating by yourself again, Claire?" I asked my coworker, albeit grudgingly. It wasn't like I really wanted to ask, but when I happened to see her with the same tupperware dish filled with the same old salad for the third time in a row, I just _had_ to say something. After all, the girl was already so god damn skinny that it was a real wonder she hadn't snapped in half as of yet. "Why don't you ever come to Shirley's with us?"

"Because I want to finish these financial reports on time," she explained while nibbling on a piece of lettuce, jotting down notes, and typing at the same time.

Honestly... How the hell can someone eat that rabbit food, _especially_ without any dressing, anyway? I'll admit that I don't care for the shit to begin with, being that it doesn't taste like much of anything, but I still thought she could do a little better than that for lunch. Although I normally wasn't one to bother with such things, I knew she read those health magazines that concerned themselves with the risks of obesity and the like at an almost obsessive level. However, why even trouble yourself with eating that tasteless junk at all if you don't need to lose the weight? Isn't that why women eat the stuff in the first place? Because some jack ass in a magazine told 'em to?

"Just leave it until we get back," I replied as I stepped into her office as casual as you please. She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow while I did so, but she didn't bother trying to stop me. We were always put in each others' faces because of work, though, so I guess she felt there was no point in getting territorial about it. However, she nearly choked on her tomato when I shut off the monitor of her desktop.

"Gray!" she protested, making a lunge for her computer. I easily blocked her, of course, since I was more than broad enough to simply step in front of the entire damn thing. "My file-"

"Is perfectly fine," I assured her with a sigh. Then I smirked and jabbed her forehead as I reminded her, "I just shut off the _screen,_ Miss Blonde Wonder." She glared up at me with those big, blue eyes of hers, killing any intimidation she might've gotten out of the look in the first place, but even with the childish pout as well, I knew better than to cave to her girlish charms. She could be a hell of a lot of trouble if I let her walk over me just because she had to be so damn sweet these days.

I had a suspicion she might be faking it, though...

"Seriously," she sighed, slouching back into her chair. "I don't want to turn this in late... _again,_" she continued to grumble, rubbing the bridge of her petite nose wearily. I merely crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to calm herself down although it took some patience on my part. "My perfect record is going to be _ruined..."_

"Oh, shut up, you," I groaned, shaking my head as I did so. "We _weren't_ late the last time, and you know it just as well as I do. We-"

"Maybe, but we _almost_ were," she reminded me crossly. "We had to pull an all night because of _your_ mistake." Even knowing I probably shouldn't have, I took the bait right away. She really knew how to press my buttons, and it didn't take much for her to get the better of me during situations like this.

"Are you trying to bitch me out over a missing _period?"_ I challenged, narrowing my eyes. She just glared right back at me before sticking out her tongue, and as if it wasn't for a certain _idiot_ showing up at the last minute, I think I might've gotten myself into another argument. My first with her, though. I didn't even hear the bastard come in, either, which put me even _more_ on edge than I was already.

"Don't tell me you're not coming with, Claire," an unusually smooth, though unfortunately _familiar, _voice seeped through our spat, all but dripping with disappointment. Almost immediately, a rather frightening smile was on her face before she whipped around in her chair, nailing me in the shin in the process. "Or is Gray just pushing all the work on you instead?" he teased, no doubt wearing that stupid grin of his.

Not that I could have the pleasure of knocking it clear off his face since I was nearly doubled over in fucking _pain._

"Kai... what the hell are you going here?" I seethed through gritted teeth, still nursing the bruise that was forming as I spoke. As if he hadn't even noticed I was sitting there, he blinked a couple of times, and then he flashed me a strangely cat-like smile, showing off his perfect, pearly whites in the process. It was then that I vaguely wondered how many I could knock out with just one swing. At the very least, I could easily take out the front two which would be more than enough to end his womanizing for good...

"Come on now..." he purred, leaning on the arm of the chair which brought him uncomfortably close to the young woman sitting there. However, she didn't seem to mind in the least since she was too busy blushing at the moment. Although I didn't quite get it, she always seemed to get all mushy and doe-eyed around him, and the worst part was... I usually had to _watch._ She'd start with the blushing, then it was onto the stuttering, and finally it would end with her staring at the floor while digging into it with the toe of her heels. It was a predictable course of events by this time, and yet I didn't understand a damn bit of what was going on between the two of them.

After all, Kai _was_ a known player around the office... despite a considerable lack of targets, but I didn't think he'd go _that_ far. Whenever I'd asked him about her in the past, he would just shrug it off with a ghost of a smile, and we'd leave it at that. Well... _he_ did at least. _I,_ on the other hand, was completely unconvinced that was all there was to it. It wasn't as simple as a relationship between coworkers because she sure as hell didn't look at _me_ that way. That's for _damn_ sure, too, since I'd been working with her from the start.

That was back when she didn't try so hard to be so fuckin' _cute_, either.

She never used to wear pink sweater-vests like some school girl and white skirts that were pretty damn close to going against the dress code. Given what the bitch at the main office pranced around in, that was saying a lot, too.

Without warning, though, a tanned hand was thrust in my face and snapped its fingers barely an inch away from my nose. "Are you still with us, Gray?" Kai teased with a chuckle. Claire only giggled (a bit too loudly), of course, but I wasn't so easily amused. Maybe it has something to do with me not being reduced to a giddy airhead every time his ugly mug happened to show up.

_"Yes,"_ I snapped, shoving his hand out of my sight. "Now let's just get going already..."

--

"I can't believe that bitch," I growled bitterly as I bit down on my cigarette. I nearly chewed the filter right off before I finally lit the god damn, fucking thing. "Why the hell do I _always_ have to bust my ass for that... 'Gray,'" I began, trying to mimic the broad's snotty, uptown tone, "'you'd better be back here by a quarter-after. Why? Don't ask _why_, just _do_ it!' she says... Hmph..."

By this time, I probably should've been used to this kind of shit. Even before coming to work in this damn part of town, I was kicked all over the place. It didn't even matter if I got my work done by the deadline because there was sure to be something to follow it, and then it was the same ol' song an' dance all over again. I don't even know why I bothered with any of it these days... Maybe it was just the only thing I'd ever known, though.

There are three kinds of people... those that don't work, those that work to live, and those who live to work. I guess I fall into the latter, being that's all I ever did anymore.

Well... and drink.

However, my mind came back to the present pretty quickly when I slammed right into a glass door and landed right on my ass. As I held my throbbing head, I heard the door swing out to let me in, and glancing up from the sidewalk, I could see a pair of brilliant, emerald eyes gazing down at me, wide with concern. "Oh, I'm so sorry, hun..." she cooed. "You gotta push this new door," she explained sweetly, offering me a hand to help me up off the pavement.

Although I knew better, I couldn't help but feel my face warm upon accepting it. Her hand was just so soft to the touch compared to my own rough and calloused ones that it caught me off guard. Of course, I was quick to gather myself up once I was back on my feet. I preferred to think of myself as a respectable man, and that being said, I knew that this girl was off limits to me.

She _was_ a married woman now, after all.

"Um... thanks, Muffy," I muttered, glancing back down at the ground. I'd always had trouble looking her, not to mention other women, right in the eye, and apparently, even as a woman who I had no chance or desire to be with, it was still next to impossible for me to keep my cool around someone as kind-hearted and warm as her.

"No trouble at all, honey," she assured me with a tender smile while she brushed aside her blonde curls. "I saw you go down after the boys and the little missy came in, you know," she laughed, ushering me inside with a wiggle of her curvaceous hips. Her pale, blue heels, that oddly enough also matched the trim of the bubblegum pink walls, clicked on the black-n-white linoleum as she tottered ahead of me, chatting about something or other that I didn't quite catch. Why she ever bothered talking to me in the first place, I would never know. I rarely responded, so there didn't seem to be a point.

Just trying to be nice, I guess, especially knowing her.

"Okay now, darlin's, what can I can get ya?" Muffy chirped, not even taking the notepad out of her little, black apron she had tied around her narrow waist. It wasn't surprising, though, since she was more than well aware of what the order would be. "The usual for you boys, I take it?" she laughed in that lady-like fashion of hers. "Okay, so what can I get _you_ then, sweetie?" she asked kindly, clearly referring to Claire.

I couldn't keep myself from muttering under my breath when I recalled why she was here in the first place. It wasn't that I didn't _want_ her eating with us, concerning who I had for company without her. However, what I _did_ have a problem with was knowing she'd only come because _Kai_ was the one to invite her along. Funny seeing as how _I'd_ been the one to try and ask her first... The two had even left me behind to deal with that bitch we slaved under while they went on without a single glance my way.

After all, what did _they_ care if I was getting my ass handing to me for no good reason?

Knowing Kai... he probably was laughing at me the whole time, too, since he seemed to be in the boss's pocket. There was clearly something going on there as well, but so far, I hadn't been quite able to put my finger on it. Of course... it was hard to decipher much of _anything_ about that jellyfish of a man.

"Could I please have the sa-"

"You just had a salad at the office," I reminded Claire curtly, leaning back in my chair. Her blue eyes were a little frantic as she began to scan the menu once again for something else with her cheeks a light shade of pink. However, Kai soon slipped it out of her grasp and smiled knowingly to reassure her. I might not have known _exactly _what he'd done, but I carefully filed away the tidbit to mull over later because I figured I'd never know when it might be useful to me.

"Muffy dear," he chuckled, "I know it's not on the menu, but do you think you could order up a _fruit_ salad for the little lady?" Then he grinned and added, "It seems that Gray here is trying to introduce some variety into her diet." Even though there wasn't any animosity in his voice, I still felt my skin prickle nonetheless. I was just sick of seeing her the same, damn thing day after day, and now he was trying to make me out to be some controlling jack ass? The nerve of this guy was almost enough to push me over the edge...

"Wait!" Claire gasped, suddenly digging through her purse. "I don't think I brought my wallet with me today." I just sighed heavily, rolled my eyes, and went to pull my own out of my back pocket. Even if she didn't think I was worth her time, I figured I could help her out a little. After all, she should know that I could be a gentleman every once in a while.

"I can-"

"Don't worry," Kai cut me off with a wave of his hand, "I'll pay for yours, too." The young woman immediately started blushing, and in record time, she was also stuttering and staring at the floor which she was soon busy digging a hole into. Maybe she'd finally get somewhere this time...

Seeing as I just couldn't win, I simply rested my elbow on the table and my settled the side of my head in my hand. Shirley's had to be one of the few places I didn't mind being... simply because it reminded me so strongly of an old-fashioned diner. From the 1950's advertisements on the walls to the sea-form green counters and tabletops, it brought back the nostalgia of the old days, and that was something I was beginning to dream of more and more as time went on.

Even if people wouldn't have realized I took an interest in any of it, I felt right at home here. After all, being that it was wedged between a bookstore and an antique shop, it was more or less the perfect place for me. Also, besides offering baked corn on its menu, a personal favorite of mine that a man can't easily track down in the middle of the city anymore, its location made it easier for me to pick up one of the classics from next door. At the very least, that meant I could escape from work for a little while which was becoming increasingly necessary to keep my sanity relatively in tact in this age of fast paced living and even faster money.

A coffee mug was set down in front of me then, and I promptly brought myself out of my little pity party and dull daydreams. I could only watch as the black sludge was poured out for me in Muffy's usual, sloppy fashion. By instinct alone, I already had the napkin ready and waiting to mop up the spill. Even dealing with this slight inconvenience, though, I knew she was good to us, so I couldn't complain. However, the miracle of how that pink uniform of hers stayed clean, I would always have to wonder.

"How's married life treating you, Muffy?" Denny asked out of the blue as could be expected from him. Since Kai was too preoccupied with making Claire giggle, I'd forgotten he was even there to begin with. He was normally just as loud as his obnoxious companion, but he'd been fairly quiet up until now.

"Funny you should ask," Muffy replied with a smile. "Griffin just bought an old warehouse near the harbor," she told him, immediately catching his interest by the looks of it. "He's planning on setting up a country music dance hall there," she explained. "We've been working hard on renovating it for the past few months, you know."

"So much for a honeymoon," he chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, I don't mind," the young waitress laughed, causing her curls to bounce. "Whatever makes him happy is good enough for me," she continued before heaving a long and weary sigh, "but it _is_ tiring with me working the day shift here just to go home to _more_ work...." Then she smiled again and rested her hands confidently on her hips. "Something tells me I'll still be helping him when we open up with the bar an' all, though!"

"You know, I actually live down that-a-ways," he explain with a nod. "Maybe I can drop by and help you guys out after work sometime," he offered, smiling up at her with that lopsided grin of his. However, it was probably one of the more genuine ones I'd seen him wear.

"Really? Oh that'd be great of you, hun..." I let myself drift out of the conversation as the two began discussing the construction that still had to be done. I worked enough hours as it was without having to listen to them anyway. Even so, there wasn't much else for me to do other than stare at the wall which didn't exactly entertain me all that much.

Especially considering that the paint was already dry...

Without really thinking too much about it, I did a quick scan of the small restaurant to find Vaughn was tucked in the far booth, alone, as always. He'd already finished his lunch, having set his bowl off to the side, and he was currently browsing through the paper while puffing on a cigarette. That was another thing I liked about Shirley's... a man could still have the right to smoke in here. However, it didn't seem like I'd get to enjoy the same simple pleasure as my silver-haired smoking companion.

"Gray, you smoke?" Claire asked curiously when I tapped the bottom of the new pack I'd brought with me. I only raised a brow as I set it to my lips and lit it.

"Yeah," I agreed, "what about it?" She bit her lip slightly and glanced away before gazing back at me with those innocent, blue eyes of hers. I could tell she was trying to think of something to say, and for me, that meant I was probably going to get a lecture of some kind.

"It's just that it's not really healthy for you," she replied, running her fingers through her blonde hair in a fairly nervous manner. Although i usually didn't give a rat's ass about health nuts and their opinions, I still snuffed the damn thing. After all, I couldn't exactly _enjoy_ it if I knew she was staring at it like just being near it for a half hour was going to give her cancer by tomorrow. My thoughts on the matter were fairly simple really...

_Might as well enjoy _something_ before it's all over._

Of course, I knew she wouldn't take to kindly to that philosophy, so I kept it to myself. I could always smoke later, I suppose, when she wasn't around to _baby sit _me...

Just then, Kai stood up rather abruptly, but no one even have a chance to find out what he was up to before he'd found a young woman at the short counter by the front window. I'll admit she looked like a real winner, but there was something awfully familiar about her... She was wearing what appeared to be a bright, magenta dress that came down to her upper, mid-thigh with a white cap and heels to match. However, it was only after he got her attention and she turned to face him that I recognized her. It was only then that I nudged Denny's leg from under the table.

"Hey, isn't that blonde with your cousin?" I asked, jabbing my finger behind me towards the flirtatious pair. I didn't expect Claire to look as well which, for whatever reason, made me mentally kick myself for ever mentioning it in the first place. She was clearly hurt to see the man chatting up another girl while she was left behind, for her eyes had misted over some to see the spectacle. He might not have meant any harm, but I still gritted my teeth to know how she felt.

"Probably," the young man agreed with a shrug.

As if both of us were sharing the same thought, Claire and I blurted out together, "Shouldn't you try and _stop_ him then?" Our faces immediately warmed following the question, and we tried to hide our embarrassment by glancing away from one another, but it didn't quite work out like we'd hoped since we were still acting in unison. Denny was nice enough not to mention it although I was sure he was thinking it, wearing a lazy smile.

"Why should I?" he replied, taking another long sip of his coffee as Muffy brought us our orders. I wasn't surprised to see he'd ordered the fish-n-chips once again, but he most likely felt the same way about my plate of corn. One of the other reasons I happened to like this place was, despite the fact the cook most likely hated me for it and might've spit in my food just to spite me, they actually shaved it off the cob for me. Even while I usually wouldn't give a rat's ass either way, it kept me from wearing melted butter down the front of my suit.

"Because she's dating a relative of yours?" I countered, slowing it down a bit to make sure he got what I was saying. If he noticed my apparent attitude, though, he made no sign of it.

"Trust me, Kai would be _way_ better to her than Dan is," he explained as he dipped a french fry into his tarter sauce. Oddly enough, I'd noticed over time that he never put the sauce on the actual fish that it was intended for which, given how little I really thought of him already, made him seem to be a rather strange sort. "At least he doesn't have a gambling problem..."

"Looks more like a _flirting_ problem with this one, though," I observed, noting that the little tart had giggled after almost every word Kai said to her. She'd blush, of course, but unlike Claire, she didn't shy away from all the attention being showered upon her. Instead she was batting her long eyelashes and even resting her hand on his shoulder from time to time.

"Eve's always been attracted to that kind of guy is all," Denny assured me with that indifferent tone of his. "In case you haven't noticed," he continued, "she's quite the flirt herself." As if to exaggerate his point for him, she giggled once again.

Well... I had to admit he had me there...

Claire hadn't made any comment on the situation during our little conversation while she kept poking what was left of her lunch. Every bite she _did_ take was slow and reluctant, and I also caught her sneaking glances over to where the two were sitting on more than one occasion. However, the true warning that something was wrong had to be the fact that she hadn't so much as _touched_ her strawberries. Over the four years that I'd spent working with her, I'd at least learned that they were her favorites, so when I realized she hadn't eaten any of them, I was a bit curious as to why. I didn't get a chance to ask her, though, before Kai made his way back to our table.

"Got it," he announced calmly, flashing a napkin for us to see. It was clearly a phone number, but what got me was the message she'd written. In what I felt was a rather seductive manner with its elegant curves, it was also rather direct. 'Call me anytime' was all it said. I felt that's all it needed as well.

"Are you even sure it's the _right_ number?" his companion teased with a laugh which caused his friend to defend himself in the same playful manner. However, I'd tuned them out long since I was too busy keeping an eye on Claire instead. She'd stopped picking at the remains of her salad, but now she was simply staring at it. Soon enough, though, she stood up slowly so not to draw any attention to herself, and with only a mumbled 'thank you,' she made her way out the door.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. I opened my mouth to ask him how he could be such an ignorant ass, but then I thought better of it since I hadn't exactly figured it out for myself until a minute ago. Even so... I couldn't help but notice what was left on her plate, and it troubled me in the worst way. Only two kinds of fruit were left, after all.

Pineapple and strawberries...


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

My mind was numb as I made my home with the last of the winter's chill at my back. I'd already shucked my jacket, draping it over my shoulder, which earned me more than a few curious gawkers, but I didn't pay them any mind. I just wanted to get home, take off my work clothes in favor of a pair of sweats, and then flop on my bed to space out for a while. I needed to wind myself down... maybe even drift off to sleep for a couple hours, too, since God knows I needed it something awful.

I've never really felt like the city was my home with its towering buildings and stifling air. I still dreamed of open skies and endless seas, after all... but a part of me knew it was nothing more than that, a simple dream. That's all it would ever be for someone like me, and I was beginning to accept that as a fact.

Working for minimum wage at a dead end job with holes in the sole of my tired, worn out shoes, I knew it wasn't going to be getting any better for a laid back guy such as myself. Still, it wasn't too much of a problem. Working there kept a roof over my head, and I had food in the cupboards... for a short time anyway. Isn't that always the way, though, when it comes to life? Everything is temporary, so you have to enjoy it and be thankful for what you have as long as it lasts. That's the only reason we keep on living, I guess.

However, that doesn't seem quite right, now does it? That's because that's not how it is... at least not for me.

Sure, I don't make the big money, and I'm stuck sorting mail to be taken in or sent out. That doesn't matter to me all that much, though. We can't _all_ be at the top of the ladder which is something I've come to learn with time. If we were, there'd be no one to hold the ladder for us at the bottom while we make our assent, and then it'd come crashing down from under us. Without the losers, there can be no winners.

As I made my way up to the seventh floor of the converted warehouse, which now housed studio apartments for those of us on the lower rungs of society, I just had to laugh at myself. After all, I never would've thought of myself as the deep thinking sort, waxing philosophies like some ol' gray beard who spent the last forty years of his life just watching and waiting as the world passed him by. That didn't sound like a bad life now that I think of it, though...

Fitting my key into the lock on the door, I glanced up to see a small note tacked to it. Under my breath, I muttered a small prayer that it wasn't an eviction notice since I'd just realized I'd forgotten to pay last month's rent. It wasn't like I didn't have the money, of course, but these things had a bad habit of slipping my mind at times. However, upon opening it up, I sighed with relief to find that it wasn't anything more than a memo stating the building was under new management. It would seem my rent would now be going to an 'Ann Walters.' Must've been old Doug's daughter or something...

Unless _Mrs._ Walters was once again walking amongst the living which, sadly, I doubted very highly.

"Kuu!" I called out cheerfully as I made my way into the apartment. "I'm home!" However, upon briefly scanning the space for my companion, I raised a brow to find my little buddy was no where in sight, and I curiously began to wonder where he could've gone off to. Being that it was winter, all the windows were closed, so I knew he couldn't have gotten out that way. Even if they _were_ open, he'd still have to deal with flying through the screen. Soon enough, though, I heard the familiar sound of the flutter of winds, and not too much later, I felt him land gracefully on my head.

"There you are," I mused with a smile, glancing up towards him. He merely cocked his head at me in reply, but I could tell he was happy to see me since there seemed to be a smile of sorts on his tiny beak. "So... what did _you_ do today?" I asked, slipping out of my slacks as quickly as I could manage without tripping myself. God, I hated dressing up... especially just to sit in a stuffy office all damn day.

He didn't say anything as he flew towards the window that gazed out over the harbor. Once he'd landed on the sill, he only tapped the glass lightly with his beak, and then he turned his little head to look up expectantly at me. I complied, of course, since I was a bit curious to what he was gawking so earnestly at.

At first, I didn't really get what all the fuss was about. I couldn't see anything of particular interest other than the fishing boats that were docked at port for the season, but he pecked at the glass earnestly once again. After straining my eyes for a bit, I could _just_ make out a small figure at the end of the farthest pier, but I didn't really know why he was so intent upon me taking notice of it. Therefore, I questioned him skeptically with a raised brow. When he nodded that that was indeed what he intended for me to see, I sighed heavily, yet I still picked up the binoculars resting on the window sill. I always had them handy since, unfortunately, our home wasn't _right_ on the water's edge like I'd wanted.

Because of the distance, it was still hard to make out the lone figure even with help from the instrument, but I can't say that what I _did_ see impressed me all that much, either.

Well, I could definitely tell it was a woman, a slender one at that although her billowing skirt and jacket made it a bit more difficult to discern whether or not that was really the case. However, when she happened to turn to head back to wherever she'd come from, I gotta admit she had quite the pretty face. Even then, though, her long hair got in the way due to the wind, and just as soon as it appeared, it was gone again.

"Damn..." I muttered, setting down the binoculars once again. Then, turning back to face my companion, I set my elbow on the sill and watched him for a moment or so. Kuu was a mynah bird, but despite being told that he was supposed to mimic sounds, including a human voice, he hadn't made so much as a _peep_ from the time I bought him which sort of defeated the purpose of me getting him in the first place. After all... I needed _somebody_ to keep me company in this dump of an apartment.

"Isn't that right, buddy?" I purred, scratching him beneath his chin. He tilted his head back with what I thought was a smile of sorts, but he said nothing as per usual. Just about the only thing that convinced me he had relations to his species was his coloring. His feathers were mostly black except for a streak of yellow across the back of his neck and two spots of the same distinctive hue on either cheek. I had to admit, though... he was a handsome, little devil when I got a good look at him. Personality, charm, wits as well...

Too bad I couldn't say the same about myself.

As if right on cue, I heard my cell phone ring, and after I rummaged through the pockets of my discarded jacket and found it, I flipped it open with ease. There was really no point in checking the caller ID, either, since I only had one person who'd bother to call me. Hell, he was the only one who even had my number in the first place.

Even then, it was just because he brought me the damn thing.

"Kai," I began with a heavy sigh, "what's up?" Sparing a quick glance towards my alarm clock, I added, "We just got out of work... Are you lonely or something?"

"Not now, I'm not!" my friend assured me, his eagerness ringing loud and clear through his voice. I already knew what was coming, but if nothing more than to humor him, I still stayed on the line and listened. Although it would be more or less the same story, there wasn't anything better for me to do at the moment. "You remember Eve from the other day, right?"

"Of course I do," I agreed with a slight laugh and a smug grin. "She's dating my cousin... You _do_ know that, don't you?" I asked, a hint of amusement in my tone. We both know the answer, but it didn't stop either one of us before. These kind of things were to be expected by now which made it all the more fun to try and discuss the matter.

"Why do you think I even bothered with her in the first place?" he replied, no doubt grinning himself. I_t's all a part of the game for you, isn't it?_ I thought indifferently while I plopped down onto my futon. It was on the floor, but I wasn't complaining because I didn't really want to buy a bed frame. Couldn't afford it anyways... "It's like I always try to tell you, Denny," he chuckled, probably shaking his head in the process. He had a habit of giving me too little credit in these situations it seemed...

"'A woman's worth a man's interest under any circumstance,'" I quoted effortlessly. Kuu fluttered over to join me, but his black eyes seemed to mist over with disappointment when he landed on my knee.

"You forgot one thing, though," he corrected me in a scolding tone. "It's even _better_ when there's an obstacle to over come." There was a pause before he continued on. "I gotta say that I'm starting to get bored from taking another's guy's chick, though... I think I've done this one too many times."

"Dan's hardly any competition," I explained with a wistful air. "Just in case you didn't realize it yet." Truth to be told, I didn't want to be related to that guy, but it's not like you chose your family. People don't even chose their friends if you think about it. Look at me and Kai... He was the one to find me, after all, when I was down and out, and although I was grateful, I can't say he was exactly the best person to be spending my time with. He got me into a hell of a lot of trouble it seemed...

"The three of us need to get together again some time," he mused, choosing to ignore my last statement in the process. "How about another poker night at your place this weekend? I need some extra cash to treat that little lady of his, you know!" Then Kai laughed in his usual loud and boastful way, but soon enough I heard the pounding on his wall through the speaker. Too bad I felt the need to chuckle because of it.

"Rick giving you trouble again?" I teased, knowing well enough that was the case. How any two people who hopelessly loathed each other's existence ended up as neighbors in a city _this_ size... I had no clue.

All that I knew as that it was hilarious to watch. And _hear_ apparently...

"Sure... just laugh your fucking ass off, Denny!" Kai shouted. Unfortunately for me, I didn't pull the speaker away in time which meant it was right in my _ear._ There was another more feverish pounding on the diving wall between their apartments as well as some angry mutterings I assumed belonged to Rick, but I was bored of it by now since I couldn't hear it all that well at the moment with my deafened ear an' all. "Yeah, well, I don't give a shit if your kids can hear me fucking swearing, you rotten bastard! It's not like their damn _mommy's_ any better!

"Kai..." I sighed, switching sides with the phone. Kuu glanced up at me momentarily, but after blinking at me in nothing short of confusion, he decided to glide back over to the window sill. As he gazed outside of it, I had to wonder if that's all he did all day. Guess I wasn't very good company for the poor kid since he didn't seem to want much to do with me these days. "Calm down, will ya?"

Not surprisingly, though, it seemed that my words were only heard by the faint sound of static.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

_"It's you and me against the world, kid."_

That was what I told him when we first met, and even now, after all these years of knowing him, I still meant every word. He and I really were the only ones that existed here in this city with a million, nameless faces... which is why I did my best to keep him out of trouble. Even though he idolized me to a certain extent, I didn't want that for him. He needed to be his own person, and that's why I chose to make all the wrong choices _for_ him. Maybe it was just another silly thought, even overly sentimental of me, but because of those feelings, I actually could believe that he was my brother of sorts.

"Hey, Denny, we need to get you a girl," I decided suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. My friend raised an eyebrow at first, taking a sip of his coffee as we continued to walk aimlessly down the street, but he just smiled softly and shook his head like the thought didn't appeal to him in the least. He was a strange one at times, though, so it didn't surprise me as much as it probably should have. "Why not?" I pressed with a vague hint of annoyance.

"Because I'm not looking for a one-night stand," he explained with a shrug. However, I couldn't help but notice there was a small glimpse of a smirk tugging at his lips which warned me that he had a snide remark at the ready. "Unlike you, I have standards."

"So do I," I countered, trying not to laugh. "It's 36, 24, 36," I chuckled which earned me a playful punch in the arm. "Hey, easy there now, kid," I chided him. "I've already got a black eye thanks to your cousin, and I'm not exactly looking for a matching set if you know what I mean..." As if to remind me of the incident the night before, I had to squint to ease the slight onset of pain. Unfortunately, my companion happened to notice this as well which was anything but what I was hoping for.

"Didn't I tell you Dan had a mean fist?" he teased with a knowing smile. When I glared at him, though, he merely shrugged it off. "I told you to behave yourself, but you just _had_ to ask Eve to along with him to my place didn't you?" He continued to grin smugly at me, his brown eyes laughing at me like it was an inside joke between us, and although I wanted to deny it, he was probably right by saying I'd gone too far. Admittably, having Eve sit on my lap after one to many drinks on my part might have been a _little_ much...

"At least I managed to keep my dignity," I countered with a huff. After all, I might've earned myself a black eye, but Dan was still the one with a broken nose. My bruise would fade, eventually disappearing all together, but his pretty face would never be the same.

Yet again, that was just one less womanizer I had to deal with, too.

"If you consider getting punching in the face vital to your sense of pride, then I'd have to say yes," he agreed with a cruel laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I just don't follow your logic, Kai. You never let anything get the better of you... even when you're the one in the wrong."

"That's why we need to set you up with someone," I replied casually, "because I think that's the only way you'll _ever_ get it." Denny groaned, shoving his hands deep into into his pockets while he did so, but I still caught the flush of scarlet making its way throughout his tanned face. "Now that Eve's free of Dan once and for all, maybe you could take her off my hands tomorrow," I suggested with a faint smile. After all, I wasn't planning on getting serious with the poor girl since I pretty much satisfied my need to liberate her from that gambling, romancing fool. She deserved better... which incidentally also put me out of the running.

Consider it saving the damsel in distress, only to realize my princess was in another castle.

"No," he argued, "I don't want any of your leftovers. Besides, Dan's pissed enough as it is." Although there was really no sign of it in his voice, I could tell he was starting to get frustrated with me. Not that I blamed him, of course, since it was a bit of a sensitive subject for him, and I always seemed to forget that. I'd just figured he was simply shy when it came to girls, but I was beginning to think there was something else to his seemingly aloof nature.

"Come on," I assured him, patting his back, "you can't live your life on your own for _too_ much longer, you know." He raised a brow, but I paid it no mind. "Someone's got to be sweet on you sooner or later."

"Like Claire is on you?" he asked, his tone unnervingly smooth and even as he said it.

I stopped dead in my tracks, almost as if I'd been tied to a heavy chunk of lead that fixed me to the spot, but I couldn't even choke out a reply. It wasn't like I shouldn't have seen it coming because I wasn't ignorant enough to believe that no one had noticed her tentative glances towards me at the office. However, I'd figured my relative indifference around, though not towards, her would be more than a subtle hint I wasn't interested in the girl. Apparently, Denny wasn't having any of it, and I could only guess how many others were wondering the exact same thing.

"Oh, she is?" I replied at last, hoping to evade any further questioning on his part for the time being. However, I'd paused for a bit too long which only peeked the young man's interest even _more._ He was still studying me expectantly, the winter's chill causing his breath to appear like smoke, and although his expression was placid with no hint of emotion, I knew he was fighting to keep himself from smiling. "I hadn't noticed," I fibbed, rubbing the back of my neck out of nervous habit.

"Quit trying to lie through your teeth, Kai," he admonished me, slouching against a brick wall that was bathed in sunlight. _"We_ both know what she thinks of you, and I think Gray-"

"He's too dense when it comes to that kind of thing," I scoffed without any trouble. After all, he'd worked with Claire on nothing but financial reports for over four years without making a single move on her. He just grumbled about working too many hours even though she was the usually one picking up most of his slack. I may not have understood any of it myself, but I knew enough about the matter to be both awed and somewhat insulted to watch it firsthand. I mean... how could he _not_ find her attractive?

"Which means it's even more obvious to the rest of us," Denny agreed as he let a sly grin slip. At first, I could only blink since I hadn't been expecting that sort of reply from _him_ of all people. But, damn... he had me on that one. "Just tell me why you won't go with her when you usually jump at the chance to get into a girl's pants." Judging by that particular, unnerving look in his eye, I knew he wouldn't let the issue go any time soon, and so I gave him the only answer I had to offer.

"Because I don't want to hurt her again..."

--

"Are you alright, Kai?" Glancing up from my drink, my gaze was met by a pair of two, brilliant pink eyes that just so happened to belong to the rather beautiful, young woman sitting across from me. I felt my face warm slightly while I did my best to offer a reassuring smile, and I was grateful to realize she apparently hadn't noticed my embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm fine," I replied calmly, raising my glass to her with a wink. "I was just so captivated by your beauty that I lost my train of thought is all," I teased in a soft tone which made her giggle. Luckily for me, my company wasn't one to take quick offense to her date becoming a bit distracted over a shared bottle of vintage wine, and she forgave me effortlessly with a subtle, yet sweet, kiss. After dating Dan for so long, of what I believed to be about two months or so, I was just grateful she was cultured enough to realize that not all wines had to come from a box. However, she was proving to be a very special date.

"You're very lucky to be so handsome," she began with a knowing smile, "because I don't think I could've forgiven you for such a cheesy line otherwise." At first, I could only stare blankly at her since I didn't exactly expect a woman's reply to be so sharp, but then I chuckled at my own misstep once I realized she was only kidding.

"Made you laugh, though, didn't it?" I countered smoothly. She giggled again which told me that even clichéd replies weren't _completely_ lost on her. I was glad to know it, too, since I didn't have much else to go on. Although I wasn't proud of the fact, I'd run out of original material months, if not _years,_ ago, and despite the fact that I was sitting across from such a beautiful woman, I just couldn't convince myself to try any better. "Don't get me wrong, Eve," I assured her, reaching across the small table to hold her hand gingerly in my own, "you _are_ a very special, young lady. More than any other."

She blushed then, glancing away from me as a shy, uncertain smile made its way across her deep red, satin lips. I knew that look very well by now, and if anything, it told me that I'd struck the right cord with her. Not that I hadn't expected it, of course.

Every woman wants to be put on a pedestal, after all.

"Would you like to go somewhere else?" I asked, caressing her delicate hand with my thumb. I hated to say it, but the act was getting stale, leaving me a bit bored with my own performance. I wanted to just get this 'date' over with, preferably sooner as opposed to later. I'd been more than preoccupied with that low-cut, little black dress of hers, or rather the creamy skin that lay beneath it, than her pretty face for the past hour and a half. Now all I wanted was a chance to slide it off of her shoulders and onto the floor as soon as we made it inside my door, and only then would I consider our evening together to be worth all the damn time and effort it took to assure she'd be in my bed by the end of the night. "I know another little place down the way, or-"

"Let's go to your place," she insisted, already scooting out of the booth as soon as she said it. I raised an eyebrow, but I was quick to follow since I was clearly just as eager to get going.

"Not very subtle, are you?" I chuckled while helping her slip on her mink coat. Eve merely laughed and shook her head, flipping her blonde hair out from under her collar. As I handed her back her purse, I couldn't help feeling I was in a race of some kind. Although it'd been a while, I was a bit spurred on by the thought that I was with this kind of girl. Most women expected to be courted by a man and have an inkling of having found love before they'd toss themselves into the throws of fiery passion. However, this one was more than willing to enjoy herself with no strings attached.

At least now I could be assured that we both had the same goal tonight.

Flashing the bartender a hundred, I guaranteed that I'd be welcome once again by Friday. I also had a fifty ready for the valet which didn't exactly go unnoticed by my date, for her eyes widened at the sight of the cash. The young man almost slipped by referring to me as 'Mr. Makani' upon thanking me, but he caught himself at 'Mister' after receiving a warning glare from myself. I was a regular there, after all... although it was rare for me to show up with the same face twice, and so he knew I was sure to treat the people there especially well as long as they cooperated. That's why they were kind enough not to spoil my fun by slipping up at the wrong time, you see.

"Well, Kai," she mused once I'd opened the car door for her, "you certainly know how to treat a lady." Even as she said it, her eyes never left the elegant body of my sleek, black Mustang which was also meant to leave a good impression. Sure, it wasn't exactly the most high end option for a young man, but it was more than a lot of girls had ever envisioned themselves being driven around in. Dan, for example, had an old, rusted out Buick to cart Eve about town in, so at the very least, I would have the satisfaction of knowing I'd probably kicked _his_ sorry ass to the curb for good.

"Of course," I replied with a wink. "My mother taught me well," I added with a convincingly bashful smile even though it felt more like it was an overly confident grin by this point in the game. My act was beginning to fail me, it seemed, and I could only hope it'd last until we made it to the front door of my apartment. However, what she said next one-upped me yet again.

"Trust me..." she purred in my ear, leaning over far enough to where her breasts caressed my arm, "I'm the girl your momma never warned you about." As if her emphasize her point, Eve went far as to slip her hand on the inside of my upper thigh, and I bit back a satisfied groan.

"Good to know," I agreed with a chuckle as I shifted into first gear. With the reaving of the engine and the squeal of the tires, we were off down the streets of the bustling city, and I could feel the rush of pure adrenaline coursing through my veins while my heart nearly burst from the anticipation of what was sure to come. From the increasingly fast pace things seemed to be going, I had a feeling I _would_ have a final reward for all of my well planned efforts tonight, after all.

And it was during times like these that I was always reminded that the ends really _do_ justify the means...


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"You need a day off?" I asked skeptically as I examined my recently manicured nails and cradled the phone in the crook of my neck. I wish I could say it was a surprise to have someone calling in sick, but since it was Monday, I'd actually been expecting it all along. Not to mention the voice on the other line was all too damn familiar to my ears, but for once, I was happy to hear from him.

Mostly because I knew I wouldn't have to deal with his shit for another day, but still...

"So what's ailing you?" I pressed with a faint chuckle. "You sound pretty damn healthy if you ask me, Kai," I began, leaning back into my chair just a little bit more. After all, I wanted to be extra comfy to hear what should be a fucking poor excuse although having some popcorn to munch on might've been nice, too. Maybe if I was lucky, he'd try to fake a cough, or even _better,_ he could attempt the raspy voice trick for a more straight forward approach. Of course, he could always fall back on the 'stomach flu' gag which I thought might be a _tad_ much on his part. Regardless... I couldn't wait to bring the axe down when he failed to give a decent performance.

"Let's just say it's something I'd rather not pass around the office," he replied cooly, and I had to admit I found it a little disappointing. I mean, _really..._ couldn't he have come up with something a tad more convincing?

Oh, wait, this was _Kai_ I was talking about, wasn't it?

"Do you really think I'd let you off with such a weak excuse, you shameless bastard?" I scolded him irritably while drumming my fingers on the armrest of my chair. "At the very least, you'd better not be hoping to get paid for today," I added in a more threatening tone even though I knew it wouldn't do me any good. It never did when I was trying to scare the fucker, but I'd rather rot in my fucking _grave_ than sit up and beg. Although I may have been a bitch, I wasn't one to roll over for _anybody,_ especially not the likes of _him._

"I wouldn't _dream_ of asking you for a favor like that, Gracie," he assured me, no doubt wearing that cheeky grin of his. Knowing that jack ass, he'd probably get off just by imagining my agitated expression. He _knew_ I hated that damn pet name, that worthless piece of shit... "All I did was catch something rather nasty," he assured me, "but you really shouldn't worry _too_ much about me, you know." Kai paused for a moment while he cooked up another remark, yet I don't know if he really planned on what I'd hear next. You see... there was a faint giggle in the background, and in that same instant, my scowl became a knowing, if not down-right _smug_, smile on my full lips.

"Just remember to wear protection the next time you decide to go around fucking anything that's got legs, you dog," I remarked sharply.

"Well, I hope you have a few for when I come over again this weekend," he laughed which caused my face to flare. _That son of a bitch... _"I've really been missing you the past couple of nights, you know..." the young man purred through the speaker. "Don't you agree that maybe it's time we-"

Before he could even finish, I slammed the phone down and instinctively clutched at my stomach. Ugly feelings that I thought I'd long since put to rest began to bubble to the surface once again, but I still did my best to keep relatively calm and ignore the nausea that threatened to overcome me. Although I could already feel my blood pressure rising as well, there wasn't much I could do about that, either. "Damn him..." I muttered under my breath, holding back the bitter tears that welled in my eyes, as I slumped down onto my desk. "Damn that rotten bastard to fucking _hell_ for all I care..."

"Are you alright, Ms. Hart?" a sweet voice asked quietly from the doorway. Upon looking up, I could Elli standing over me with her eyes filled with concern and uncertainty. "If you don't mind me saying so... you look rather ill."

"Very observant," I sighed bitterly, shaking my head in defeat. My harsh tone was immediately dropped, though, when I caught sight of that hurt look of hers. "Makani just called in sick," I explained with a frustrated sigh. "You know... I thought I'd be _glad_ to be rid of that dumb ass for a day," I admitted with another sigh, "but the trouble is that I needed him to make a few calls for me."

"How about asking Mr. Williams to tend to the matter then?" my assistant suggested kindly. "He may not have signed on for such work, but I'm certain he'd have no complaints if we offered to pay for his overtime." When she realized I was gawking at her, her cheeks flushed a bright scarlet, and soon she began to trip over her own words. "O-of course, it's _your_ decision in the end... I was merely making a suggestion, and I-I..."

"Elli," I said sternly, cutting her off. She blinked as she waited for me to continue, but I could only keep a straight face for so long before I just had to smile. "Why the hell aren't you the one running this thing anyway?" I asked with a smirk and a playfully raised brow. "Sounds like you'd keep a much better ship than me when it comes to these things..."

She blushed upon hearing the compliment, of course, yet soon enough she composed herself once again. "Oh, I'm quite certain you're far more suited to the task, Ms. Hart," she insisted sweetly with that gentle, reassuring smile of hers. Then she simply trailed after me on my way out the door and down the hall, but I was quite certain she was humming pleasantly to herself as well. These were the times when I had to wonder if she truly meant the things she said, or perhaps it was nothing more than a means to an unknown end. "What's ailing Mr. Makani... if you don't mind me asking?" she pressed, breaking the relative silence as we passed

"I'm hoping it's AIDS myself," I chuckled. Elli may have raised an eyebrow in both confusion and disapproval, but she made no comment on my rather caustic remark. However, I was sure she didn't take a liking to my sense of humor since her delicate, little mouth made a tight, narrow line to hear it. She was even cute when she was angry, it seemed, and yet she wast still single. Even so... she didn't seem to want to change that any time soon.

If anything, she was probably better off that way, too.

Men only lead to trouble in the end... because they can't be anything more useful than an unnecessary distraction. Women would probably be better off without them in the first place, but like myself, so many unfortunate others seemed unable to live without them. It wasn't that we _couldn't,_ of course... It was merely that we _wanted_ them around for whatever god damn reason.

"Could you wait here please?" I asked as we neared the very end of the hallway. A small plaque was tacked to the wall just outside the doorway with the name 'Vaughn Williams' engraved in deep, black letters. Elli made no complaint as she knew far better than most that the man hated to be bothered without due reason. Although she certainly wouldn't have said a word unless addressed directly, he still might've considered her to be a distraction, and he could become cross with people fairly easily...

After all, it wouldn't be the first time... nor the last.

He didn't even seem to notice when I knocked on the wall to alert him of my presence. However, as soon as I was standing almost directly behind him, he spun his chair around to face me head on, and while he peered over his dark frames, my feet felt as if they were nailed to the floor. I knew I was supposed to be the boss around here, but he still managed to intimidate the _hell_ out of me at times... especially ones like this. His gaze was just so damn intense with those peculiar eyes that even some part of me continued to wonder if I only hired him out of an act of submission.

"Do you need something, or are you planning on just standing there?" he deadpanned, blinking slowly as if he actually thought about doing so. "You _are_ aware that I have work to do, right?"

"Y-yes, how silly of me," I stumbled before taking a moment to cough and, in turn, regain my authority. "I need you to make a call to a few of our suppliers since it seems our resident sales and purchasing agent decided getting lucky is more important than work." Although he snorted, I couldn't tell whether it was his attempt at a laugh or not, being as it _was_ Vaughn I was speaking to. Note that I said speaking _'to'_ and not _'with'_ because no one had ever really heard him speak on a regular basis, let alone have a _conversation_ with someone... "I'm more than willing to give you overtime for your trouble, of course."

"Just give me a personal day for Wednesday instead," he grumbled with a low growl. "I've got some outside business to take care of, but since you're offering, I might as well get paid for it," he explained curtly as he returned to the spreadsheets laid out on his desk.

I lingered there for a moment, certain that our brief discussion was over yet unsure on what I should do next, and in the mean time, I took the opportunity to study the small space for a while longer. Upon first glance, I could only find that everything was in its place. However, that did little to assure me of anything since it appeared as though no one spent any time there at all. There weren't any files crammed in his desk organizer which meant I could only assume they were tucked away neatly in his file cabinet, and he didn't have a tin to keep pens in or a cup of coffee sitting next to him, either. Everything was in perfect order... to the point where there wasn't so much as a gum wrapper in the trash.

Eerie didn't even begin to describe it...

"Need to ask me anything else?" he muttered gruffly, not even bothering to turn back around to face me once more. I, not surprisingly, felt my face flush to hear him speak to me in such an arrogant manner, yet I chose to bow out gracefully, as it _was_ my namesake, without another word. If that bastard wouldn't look me straight in the eye, then there was no reason to give him the pleasure of beholding my lovely presence any longer.

When I stepped back out into the hall, my dutiful assistant seemed to eye me curiously, but I paid her little mind. She didn't even say a word on the matter while we walked in silence, and as we made our way back to my office, I noticed there was somewhat of a spring in my step. However, it was really no wonder...

Although I couldn't explain the cause for the curious sensation... I still knew I felt _damn_ good.

--

"May I assume that things went well for you today?" Elli chirped as I readied myself to close up the place. I was still in a bit of a daze, but I came out of it quickly enough after her voice reached me on my way out the front door. She stood behind me, awaiting my reply, for the last time for that day before she would head down towards the bus stop, yet at first, I couldn't think of how to respond.

"You could say that..." I agreed at last while turning the lock. "Why do you ask?"

She paused for a moment longer, seemingly studying me while she did so, and I caught a knowing glint in her wide, chocolate brown eyes which didn't really startle me as much as it probably _should_ have. After all, there wasn't any way she might know what was on my mind since I never thought of myself as someone who was easy to read.

Like Vaughn, I was one cold and aloof son of a bitch, disregarding the fact that I was the latter, of course. Even so, I was more than willing to listen in on whatever frivolous observation my young secretary had to offer if only because I knew it was polite to respect other's right to speak. Even a self-absorbed woman like myself had to bestow _some_ form of kindness on her employees, I suppose, though it pained me _horribly_ at times.

However, what Elli had to say was something I never would've imagined, from either herself or even me, yet in that one god damn statement, she dropped what was sure to be one hell of a bombshell sooner or later.

"Because, Ms. Hart... it would seem that you're still smiling."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"Gray, could you come here for a moment?" an unusually sweet voice called out to me. I inwardly groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, but there was no doing anything about it. It wasn't like I hadn't expected this... After all, it was pretty damn common in this hell hole I knew grudgingly as 'the nine to whenever the fuck' shift.

Although I seriously considered the option of pretending not to hear the perpetual bitch's beckoning, I reluctantly turned from the open doorway and headed back inside just like the corporate lap dog that I was. Though there was nothing more than the warm glow of her desk lamp to illuminate the space, the woman was standing in her office per usual, her back to me just as I expected. However, instead of her usual business attire, she was garbed in a rather upscale, black evening dress. However, when she happened to turn, I realized that the neckline went clear down to fucking _navel,_ and not surprisingly, my entire face flushed.

Didn't this woman have any damn shame?

"Yeah?" I asked gruffly, averting my eyes from her and towards the floor. It was bad enough that I had to deal with Kai bragging about her curvy figure in the break room, but for me to see this kind of thing was... too much. The woman already looked like a damn slut with all that lipstick and eyeliner. Why the hell did she have to go around town half dressed as well?

"Were all those files taken care of like I asked?" she pressed doubtfully while trying to put in her oversized, gold hoops. As if her 'outfit' wasn't gaudy enough...

"Claire and I just finished a little while ago," I assured her with a curt nod. I also wanted to mention that it'd taken us an extra three hours to do so, but I was quick to bite my tongue, past the point where I thought I could taste my own blood. Even though _she_ was the one who forgot to tell us until the day before the deadline about that progress report that needed sending out to the higher ups, I knew better than to call her a dumb bitch or something equally disrespectful. It wasn't just about keeping my job, either... because that didn't amount to shit anymore. What it came down to was that I wasn't going to let myself be that kind of man.

After all... calling _any_ woman a bitch, at least to her face, was something only someone as worthless as my father would do.

"That's just what I wanted to hear," she chuckled, reaching into her bag and taking out a pack of cigarettes. Although I knew she smoked from the many times I was called into her office, I still had to raise an eyebrow to see the brand name. I nearly whistled, too, since being a smoker myself, I knew Dreams didn't come cheap. However, I couldn't say I expected anything less from some woman who's thought a deal was a pair of shoes that cost under a grand. Even so, it might explain that faint scent of vanilla that always followed her... which until now I'd always considered to be Elli's perfume.

"Well," I sighed, "I guess I ought to be going then." The woman made no reply at first as she was too busy lighting up with one hand and putting up her hair with the other, but when I noticed she was struggling a bit, I stepped over to help. She eyed me curiously through the small mirror hanging just inside of her coat closet while I took her brittle, two toned hair and put it into a simple, though elegant, bun. A single lock fell right alongside the gentle curve of her face, and with that, I considered the 'look' to be complete. At least it was an improvement on her usual appearance...

"You didn't tell me you knew how to do hair," my boss snickered, taking her cigarette out from between her teeth and offering it to me. Although I cringed slightly, I still took it from her and snuffed it out in the ashtray resting on her desk. I could only hope she hadn't expected me to take a puff off of it... "Any other hidden talents I should know about?" she teased which caused my face to warm slightly once again.

"My little sister always asked me to play dolls with her," I lied tentatively, knowing full well that I didn't have any siblings to begin with. It was just easier that way, I guess... than telling her the whole story.

Though I wouldn't dare explain to anyone around here my ways of knowing such a trade, with the exception of maybe Elli or Claire, it was really no big deal for me. The only reason I knew how to do such a thing in the first place was because it was all I'd been able to do for my ailing mother as a child. She always praised me for it by telling me what a wonderful job I did, how happy it made her... but even at the tender age of eight, I knew she was only doing her best to comfort _me_ instead of herself.

However, I did find some reassurance through the nurses' gossip of how she only seemed to be able to smile during my visits.

Once she lost her hair to chemotherapy, though, I remembered feeling so devastated since I no longer had anything to offer her. When she died a year or so later, I'd gone so far as to blame myself. After all... in some strange, not to mention _childish_ way, I felt like I'd failed her somehow.

"As much as I'd _love_ to sit around and chat, I've got to run," the woman dismissed me abruptly before tossing her keys over my way. "Don't forget to lock up when you leave."

"Why would I hang around here?" I asked, perplexed and raising an eyebrow towards her. She merely gave me a curious wink and lifted her leather jacket off the chair just inside her door. Given the mischievous glint in her dark, brown eyes, I knew I wasn't gonna like her answer, and I could barely swallow the heavy lump that had formed my throat just to think of what she might say.

"Because I need you to finish cataloguing those sales Kai made for us today by tomorrow morning," she replied as she slipped around the corner and out the door. Of course, I tore after her since I wasn't about to let her _ditch_ me like that. However, by the time I got out into the parking lot, she was already in her car. Its bright red finish shone in the amber glow of the fluorescent lights overhead, but as I ran over to the driver's side to give her a piece of my damn mind, I stopped dead in my tracks. Then I had to ask myself if its driver was my boss at all or some other, god-forsaken wench from the bowels of hell given that wicked grin of hers.

"You selfish, bitch!" I snapped as I brought my fist down on her roof.

She simply rolled down the window, blowing her sweet-scented smoke in my face, while she continued to bare her teeth at me. "Just remember you said that when you come asking me for a raise," she warned, giving me another smart-ass wink.

Then, out of no where, she revved the engine with a mighty roar and threw it into reverse. I was barely able to jump out of the way before, in a split second, her tires squealed and she flew backwards, nearly taking out a lamp post clear at the other end in the process. I continued watch in horror as she proceeded to cut off some poor, unfortunate soul while tearing out of the parking lot, having the audacity to lay on her horn no less, and only once her taillights were out of sight was I finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Jesus Christ..." I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. "I swear to God she's gonna _kill_ somebody one of these days." Knowing her as well as I did, I most likely wasn't all that far off, either. Dumb ass broad...

_--_

It only took me about a half hour before I had to give up on the task that had been handed down to me from the devil herself. Although I hated to admit it, I knew I had to face facts, and the most obvious one was that I couldn't focus on this kind of shit unless Claire was around to keep me in line. She just had that way with me, I guess... Like one of my better teachers from my far off days in the country school of my youth, she seemed to understand how to peak my interest and, more importantly, _keep_ it which was the sole reason I still had a job in the first place.

Surely that... _other_ woman would've preferred to have me gone by now.

Even so, I was grateful Claire didn't have to be here for this level of white-collar drudgery. Even though I'd told the head mistress up front that she and I had finished together, the truth was I'd sent her home 'early.' After all, she'd been looking mighty sickly as of late, and I pitied the poor girl for it. It wasn't like she didn't work hard enough without doling out overtime. She worked just as many hours as I did, but she also had to pick up a lot of my slack as well which was something I ought to have been ashamed of...

Looking around my office, I sighed. There wasn't much to the place other than a stack of take-out containers from Shirley's, some of which actually held what was to be my dinner while others were empties. Then, of course, there were the many open files that cluttered my desk ranging from that week's overall profits, to months old memos, and even last year's tax documents...

"God, I need a drink," I lamented once I finally realized what a mess my office truly was, styrofoam coffee cups an' all. Glancing at the clock, though, I found it was just after nine, and despite the nagging thought that this evening may end very badly for me by the next morning, I could not rid myself of the idea of stepping over to the liquor store for something to take the edge off.

"One is all I really need..." I reasoned, already lifting myself up from my chair. Snatching my trench coat off the back of the door, I slipped on my ball cap as well. I barely even remembered to lock the door behind me before all but _sprinting_ to the nearest place that might be open at this hour on a week night. Of course, I told myself I was just hurrying because there could be rabble-rousers out and about, but even I couldn't convince myself of that entirely.

I knew what I was after.

_The streets are awfully quiet tonight,_ I observed absentmindedly while slowing my pace. Indeed, there wasn't a soul to be found in either direction, save for myself, but it wasn't like I hadn't expected that to be the case. After all, most people were with their families, or at the very least, they were snuggled right up close to someone special. Of course, there were others like me... out and about somewhere, but none of us really wanted to be out here in the first place.

Even so, I don't think that I've ever seen anything more pathetic than the front of a liquor store in the heart of the city. The mesh, metal fencing that covers the windows, the tacky advertisement for beer, cigarettes, and lotto plastered on the bulletproof glass like a capitalist freak show... It was all just so damn...

_Depressing..._

All the times I'd been to places like this... and yet the sight of them could still stir up feelings of what was to be a forgotten sadness at this point of my life.

Stepping into the small establishment, I was immediately assaulted by the heavy scent of tobacco, and even though it was still winter just outside the door, the air inside was thick and stagnant like the eternal dog-days of summer. The man at the counter looked up from the register, his black eyes glazed over with something other than the weariness of working the night shift, but I tried not to let it trouble me any. Since his name tag read 'Duke' and the sign out front was 'Duke's 'n' Nukes,' I figured I didn't have a say in the matter anyway.

My mentality was rather simple: his store, his rules, his business...

"Need somethin'?" he drawled, staring at me with a blank and deadened gaze. Although I seriously began to wonder whether or not I should even _be_ here with the salt-and-pepper haired fellow, I didn't really have a whole lot of options left open to me. Sure, I could've just walked back to the office, finished my work, and gone home, but I came so far and got so damn near what I desired most that I wasn't about to leave empty handed.

"Have any vodka around here?" I asked, not really wanting to scour the crowded shelves myself. He nodded as he eased himself off of his stool, and using the counter as a guide, he made his way over to the other side. When he passed me, I caught a wiff of what I could only assume to be the toxic odor of both whiskey and sweat. It rolled right off of him in nauseating waves with every move he made, stumbling through the store at a snail's pace, but I still did my damnedest to ignore it.

If he was drinking that shit, I knew better than to piss the man off.

"Buying cheap?" he mumbled, a burp following soon after. Given that the scent of the outside of him was enough to take a man down for the count, the _inside_ nearly offed me completely, yet I simply had to grit my teeth and bear it. God... I needed out of there something _awful._

"Anything will do," I replied stiffly. 'Duke' laughed then, with a mighty roar that I swore shook the bottles above and around us, and while I didn't know what was so damn funny, I cracked an uneasy smile all the same. _Weird ass drunkard..._ I thought irritably as I shoved my fists deeper into my pockets. This was getting pretty fucking ridiculous...

"Just fixin' to get drunk, eh?" he snickered, reaching out for a bottle of Five O'Clock on the bottom rack. However, once he caught sight of my disapproving glare, he put it right back on the shelf. "A man who knows his drink," he mused aloud as he stepped back for another look through. He scanned his stock once more and lay his grubby hand on a bottle of Bernettes. Of course, he glanced back to be sure it was what I wanted.

"That's fine," I assured him. Sure, it wasn't the best, but it was good enough for now. Wasn't like I could afford better anyway...

"Glad to hear it, my boy," he laughed, clapping me on the back. "You know..." he began wistfully as paused on his way to his usual post, "I just want you to take that with you- free of charge." When I opened my mouth to protest, though, he swiftly cut me off. "I know, I know... we don't even know each other, but I like you, kid. We alike, I think. The quiet type... you know?"

Somehow... I doubted that _very_ much...

"I can't do that," I said at last, just before he shoved me right out the door, bottle in hand. "That's stealing," I added lamely which made the man stop dead in his tracks. He spun me around then and brought his hand down, _hard _I might add, on my shoulder.

"Listen here now, boy," he chuckled. "It ain't stealing if I _give_ it to you." He paused for a moment, and soon enough a wide grin spread across his aged features. "Just don't tell my wife, eh?" He gave me a wink then, his once glassy eyes now as bright and lively as an eager child's, and shut the door behind me with a definite clink. Although I stood there in something of a daze for a moment of two, I soon regained my senses. However, I wasn't just going to leave it at that and take off with my booze, but I wasn't going back inside to _demand_ that he let me pay, either.

Taking a quick look around, I soon found the security camera that was aimed at the door. All I had to do was wave a ten dollar bill in front of its lens, and with that, I slipped it in the mail slot.

"Even if you don't want it," I grumbled with a faint smile, "you've got it now." As I turned from the place, resting a cigarette on my chapped lips, I chuckled quietly to myself and shook my head. After all, I had to admit it must've been a good life for a man in his golden years, selling and drinking booze with nobody to answer to but himself and, apparently, his wife. Maybe that's what he meant when he said we were alike.

At least... that's what I was _hoping_ he meant...

--

**Author's Note:** 'Duke's 'n' Nukes' was an actual name of a liquor store in my old neighborhood. It was named such because there was the liquor store and right next to it was a gun shop. _Classy._ XP


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

_'You know... life is beautiful, isn't it?_

_Every day, I find I'm reminded of that very fact. The realization I'm still alive after all I've been through is a wonderful blessing in and of itself, and even if I should die tomorrow or at this very moment, I would be forever grateful to have been a part of this world at all. That's why I believe that every man, woman, and child should be made away of their own mortality, so that they, too, may know the true joy of living.'_

"Oh wow!" I _do_ feel better now!" I giggled, reopening my latest issue of 'Self Help Magazine before flipping back to the page I'd left off at. However, as I continued reading intently, I happened to notice a young man was staring at me from across the bus aisle, but when I waved with a cheerful smile, he suddenly winced and looked away towards the back of the bus driver's seat. _Maybe he's shy..._ I thought. After all, maybe he was one of those guys that was never sure concerning women. Would they find him strange, maybe dull, or perhaps overly aggressive? I'd worried about such things myself, of course, so it was rather simple for me to relate to his plight. _Wasn't there an article about this sort of thing in Glamour..._ I thought absentmindedly,_ or maybe it was Cosmo..._

Instead of just sitting there twiddling my thumbs, I decided to give up my precious seat for the sake of going out of my way to talk to him. I'd recalled reading that sometimes the best way to bring someone out of their shell was to make the first move, and because it made so much sense to me, I figured I might as well try and put it into practice. Once he noticed I was coming over to try and sit beside him, though, he quickly put his book bag in the small space next to him. "Were you saving that sport for someone?" I asked as sweetly as I could manage.

"Uh... yeah..." he replied grudgingly, turning away from me ever so slightly. Although I continued to smile at him, he made no sign of wanting to speak to me further, and so I made my way back to the other side, only to find that someone else had taken my seat. The man who was now sitting there went to get up, but I shook my head with a smile, making the excuse that my stop was coming soon.

However, the truth was that it'd be another twenty minutes before we came to the office...

--

At the moment I arrived, I knew something was very, _very_ wrong. Maybe I simply put too little faith in coincidences, and when I saw Gray's blue, rusted out pick-up sitting in the parking lot, covered with a heavy blanket of snow, I suddenly had much more than a mere 'feeling' something wasn't quite right. I may have come a few hours early to be sure that he'd actually finished everything from where we'd left off together, but right then, I felt I might have some justification instead of simply another bout with my obsessive compulsive tendencies... which I _knew_ I didn't have anyway.

Even so, I found myself running to the door, and finding it was still locked, I pounded frantically on the glass as I _prayed_ that he might hear me.

Despite all my attempts to get the man's attention, though, there was no answer, and I began to panic. What if he hit his head on the corner of his desk like the last time, or maybe he'd drowned in his own vomit? I'd never witnessed such a thing myself, of course, but I'd heard stories about it in college...

Searching the small entryway in a moment of almost _mad _desperation, I happened to glance down, and there, right at my feet, was a set of keys. Given the fact there was a rabbit's foot keychain attached to the ring, I could only assume they belonged to Ms. Hart since I highly doubted Gray would own _anything_ that was hot pink. Blue was more his color... or maybe green... but never pink although, I must confess, I would find it incredibly funny should such a thing ever be proven true.

Right after I managed to unlock the door, I ran straight for his office that sat across from my own, and sure enough... he was out cold with a bottle nestled beside him, over half empty, between two styrofoam containers. No doubt he'd been eating out again even though I _specifically_ told him that I didn't want to see him eating such an unbalanced diet of greasy diner food. A part of me didn't want to move him, though, because he looked quite pleased with himself, a little smile even making a rare appearance on his well worn face.

Luckily for the both of us, it also seemed like he managed to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged.

"Come on, Gray," I cooed, shaking his shoulder gently. He groaned wearily, but as he went to lift his head, he immediately winced and let it fall back onto his desk once again. However, I wasn't about to give up _just_ yet. "If we don't get you out of here soon, Ms. Hart's going to be upset," I reminded him. "You know she won't be happy with you when she gets here..."

"That bitch can go to hell," he muttered, still not fully awake. Then he seemed to try and open his eyes, the film of yellow crust breaking away while he did so. It didn't look like his body was any more willing than to get up than his pickled mind. "Uhn... my fucking _head..._" he moaned again. I sighed heavily, but doing my best to keep my patience, I offered him a reassuring smile with all the happiness I could muster under the less than pleasurable circumstances.

"How about we get you back to your truck, okay?" I suggested. I was already trying to lift the significantly taller, not to mention _heavier,_ man by wrapping his arm around my shoulder, and I triumphantly managed to do so after a couple failed attempts. Although I was rather petite by most standards, I still took some pride in the fact I had more than enough muscle to handle such a task.

After all, this wouldn't be the first, nor the last time, I had to lug my coworker out of the office under such unfavorable conditions.

Gray didn't complain as I all but dragged him to his vehicle parked just outside the door, but getting him _in_ was a different matter entirely. Being that he was so much bigger than me, I had a bit more of a struggle hauling him up into the passenger's seat, and when I finally accomplished it, I had to take a minute to catch my breath. I might've been used to this kind of work, but I guess it still had a tendency to leave me a little winded...

"Okay," I said at last even though he didn't seem to hear me. "I'm going to have to drive you over to Shirley's for now," I explained, digging into his pants' pocket without a single thought for decency. He murmured some reply, but I didn't hear enough to decode the garbled message. By this time, I figured it didn't matter anyway. On a previous occasion, I'd asked him to repeat himself and the reply was 'Crackers.' Then there was another time when he blurted out that he hated me, but I never really believed him concerning the latter of the two incidents... Either way, I knew that it was futile on my part to try and follow any rules of small talk or idle conversation with him in such a sorry state.

"Are you mad at me, Claire?" he grumbled which left me with no doubt that his tongue probably felt like lead at the moment.

"No," I assured him with a soft smile as I put the key in the ignition. Glancing over towards my companion once again, I found he was staring blankly at me with empty blue eyes, and my cheerful expression faltered slightly. _Why does he always do this to himself?_ "I'm just worried about you is all."

"Don't bother," he scoffed, rolling over onto his side. Just then the engine rattled to life and the muffler gave a ragged cough, sending us lurching forward which also reminded me to move the seat up. It was something that I almost always forgot to do, so I didn't mind the rough reminder all that much. Being that I was an inexperienced driver, I figured I'd also want to keep any additional fines to a minimum should some cope decided to pull me over for reckless driving.

"Why shouldn't I?" I asked while driving slowly out of the parking lot. "We are friends, aren't we?" He was silent for a time as he thought on the question, but instead of answering me right away, he only slumped further into his seat. We remained that way for a while longer, neither of saying a single word to one another, yet I was more than content to let the silence continue. At last, though, he sighed and buried his neck deeper into the lopsided collar of his coat. While he may have looked rather sweet, I still had to fight back the urge to tell him to straighten it.

"I guess..." he agreed with a grunt, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Good enough for me," I whispered breathlessly, a gentle smile making its way across my lips as Gray began to doze off again beside me. However... now that I knew he was going to be alright for the time being, I had to figure out how to explain his absence from work...

--

"So, I see your buddy's not here today."

Upon hearing the man's voice, I immediately jumped in my seat, and to my dismay, I also nearly chocked so a carrot which caused little, hideously unappealing orange chunks to fly from my mouth. However, when I finally turned around to face him, he didn't even seem to have noticed my less than lady-like behavior. In fact...

He was grinning... at _me._

"W-well, yes Kai," I replied as sweetly as I could. "He's been working so hard lately... and you know how easily he gets stressed out. I've tried to convince him to join me during my yoga sessions for the past couple of months, but he doesn't too interested which is really a shame. A-after all, it does wonders for both body _and_ mind. Not to mention-" I paused for a moment and glanced up at him, his eyes twinkling with amusement and I blushed a deep crimson. "I'm rambling again... a-arent' I?"

The man didn't reply as he continued to smile tenderly at me, but I could still see the laughter in his dark, brown eyes. That, of course, only made me blush all the more. Why, oh _why_, did I have to be such a ninny around him? It wasn't like I had a chance with him anyway... especially since I screwed it up so royally the last time, so there was no point in getting all tongue-tied and overly dramatic. It was a wonder he would even _talk_ to me after all I'd done in the past year to make his life miserable, yet for some reason, he continued to pay attention to me.

"Better to let it all out if you ask me," Kai assumed me with a laugh. "Besides, I like to hear you being so passionate about something _other_ than work. Especially when it's about someone... even if it _is_ Gray.

"It's not like there's anything wrong with him, Kai," I argued, taking a determined bite of a stalk of celery that I'd brought with me to lunch. I cringed as the chewy fibers squeaked between my teeth, but I made no open complaints. If dealing with strings of plant matter mashed up against my gums and in every crevice my mouth had to offer was the only thing I had to suffer through to get to my target weight zone, then it was worth it in the end.

"Of course not," he agreed before resting a hand on my desk. Well, it was actually a document laying there that he had an interest in, and I bit my lip and nervously toed the floor in an effort to keep my growing anxiety at bay.

"You finished these for him, didn't you?" Kai challenged calmly, his tone unusually smooth and even. When I parted my lips to protest, though, he cut me off from the start. "I made these sales yesterday, but they were due to the higher ups this morning," he continued with no signs of stopping any time soon. "I gave them to Grace before I left but you guys were already working on that report which means-"

"Stop it," I muttered bitterly under my breath, turning away from him to face my computer. "Gray is perfectly _fine,"_ I insisted although I doubt very much that that was the case. "He's just..." I sighed once more, trying to find the words I needed to defend my poor, misguided friend. "He's absolutely fine..."

"He was drunk again, wasn't he?"

_"Kai!" _I snapped, whipping back around and standing up. "Don't you _dare_ try and put him down for something so insignificant..." I warned through gritted teeth as I jabbed him sharply in the chest. "He's a good man, and he works harder than almost anyone else I know, unlike a _certain someone._ So if you have anything more to say to say on the matter, then you better have a pretty damn good reason, or so help me God, I'll... I'll..."

Without out warning, frustrated tears began to well in my eyes, and although I tried to simply continue lecturing him over his cruel judgments of my poor friend, all that came out was a chocked sob. Kai's rigged expression immediately softened, but I didn't really want him anywhere near me. However, soon enough I felt his arms wrap around my narrow shoulders, and he brought me close to his chest like a child needing comfort. "It'll be alright Claire," he reassured me while resting his head on my own and threading his fingers through my long, blonde hair. "I really didn't mean to make you upset... but you know I hate it when people take advantage of you like that."

_Like you did?_ I thought weakly as I let my forehead lay on his chest. Even during such a tense moment between us, I couldn't help noticing that Kai's suit smelled faintly of another woman's perfume. _Roses... It just had to be roses, didn't it?_ I thought bitterly, biting my lip so not to say anything about it. Surely it was Eve's... although I suppose it could've been _anyone's _knowing him. It shouldn't have mattered to me, though, since he wasn't exactly mine nowadays, but I still couldn't get those envious thoughts out of my head.

"Gray's not taking advantage of me," I replied coldly. "He gets his work done, and even if he makes a few mistakes, they're easy enough to fix." While Kai said nothing more, he slowly drew away from me and patted the top of my head as if I was just a young school girl to be pitied for her childish naïveté.

Instead of commenting on the fact that I was no longer a child and therefore should not be treated as such, I sighed heavily and plopped right back down into my chair to get a good start on the double-duty I had laid out before me. With Gray sleeping in his pick-up on the side-street just behind Shirley's for the remainder of the morning, and perhaps the afternoon as well, I knew I'd probably be staying here for most of the night, and there was no more time left for me to waste.

As for Kai, I'm not sue how long he stood behind me, just watching while I resumed typing out that morning's figures. However, I wouldn't be lying if I admitted to sighing in relief to hear him step back out into the hall. I also couldn't ignore the fact that my heart was heavy to know he was gone although I still did my best to convince myself it was nothing to be worked up over. After all, I... I mean he... Oh, I don't know how to explain it.

The only thing I _did_ know was that I was caught in the middle of something far bigger than myself, and no matter what article I found, what book I read, or even what my horoscope was... there was no doing anything about it. Maybe that's what troubled me most when I think about it now. At least I knew this much...

There wasn't any way I could much of _anything_ to stop whatever had begun.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"Hey, Kai, can I-" I began as I came through the door. However, I cut myself off almost immediately when I saw he was sitting at his desk with his back turned to me. Although I was surprised to see he was actually _working_ for once, he was apparently on the phone with one of our customers or maybe another salesman. He didn't even seem to notice me until I set his mail on the desk, and only then did his eyes flicker back to meet my own. He mouthed the words, 'Give me a sec,' but I was already preoccupied with looking around the tiny space by the time he even bothered to open his mouth.

Unlike our coworkers and myself, Kai seemed to have an unusual compulsion to plaster every inch of the beige walls with travel advertisements. The locations ranged from local joints to places further south like Rio and the Caribbean. Some of the places were extremely familiar to me such as southern France or Spain, but others like Laos and Cambodia were completely foreign in my mind. I knew they were in Asia, of course, yet I didn't know exactly what business, if any, he might have there. Since he was already a rambling sort, I guess it was really no surprise he'd be drawn to an unfamiliar place or two... preferably far from the cold and bitter winters we had around here.

"Sorry about that," he apologized abruptly as he set the phone back down next to his ever-bobbing hula girl. "That was one of our suppliers, so I couldn't exactly put him on hold," Kai explained. He didn't glance up at me while he jotted down a few notes, but I didn't really mind. After all, it was good to see him taking his job seriously for once. "Now... what was it you needed to ask me?"

"Oh, right..." I began stiffly, unaccustomed to him speaking so formally. Must've still been in that 'sales pitch' mode of his. "I need a place to stay since I've got... uh... some _unexpected_ company, and-"

"Did you really forget already?" he asked with a raised brow and a soft smile. "Eve's living with me these days." I could only blink at first, but when I thought back a little, I remembered that he had indeed mentioned something about her staying at his apartment for the time being. Even so, I could only guess that I'd brushed the news aside as if it was just more of his usual nonsense. It wouldn't be the first or the last time I'd missed one of his more serious moments because of my misunderstanding that he was, in fact, capable of being intelligent.

"Are you really serious about this one then?" I pressed, not daring to look him in the eye. You see, if my gut was right, he was just toying with her, and that didn't sit quite well with me. Even from the beginning... I hated that about him. They way he just threw women aside once he was finished with them, it made my blood boil just to think about it, and when he _bragged_ about it, it was I could do not to slug him one square in the jaw. I knew that wasn't my place, though.

Better to have the girl beat the shit out of him for what he'd done to her if you ask me.

"Not really," he confessed with a sigh, "but as long as it keeps her away from the likes of _him,_ then that's all that matters to me in the end." Ah, so he thought he could justify his coldness towards her with chivalry, did he? Too bad I wasn't so easily convinced that his methods were by any means acceptable... "Besides," he continued, a smug look on his tanned face, "she's pretty good in bed, you know."

"Kai, I don't want to hear that... especially coming from _you_ of all people," I grumbled which stopped his laughter. He stared at me for a moment or so, his jaw rigged with either thought or uncertainty, but I didn't say anything more. I usually wasn't all that stern with him, but after spending the last few nights sleeping on the floor, I wasn't all that willing, or even able, to be patient. "I was only asking to come over because Dan's hiding out at my place, and I've got no where else to go."

"You're kidding me?" he chuckled, leaning back in his chair and putting his idle hands behind his head. That cocky smirk of his returned, and just the sight of it put me even _more_ on edge. "I can't it surprises me, though, since Eve was the one to pay the rent all this time."

"Was she?" I asked, somewhat stupefied. Sure, I'd had my suspicious that was the case, but I was still a little taken aback. After all, that meant my worthless cousin might be staying with me...

_Indefinitely._

"Of course we could always make room," my friend assured me. "I don't know what we'll do about Kuu, though... My building doesn't allow pets which is kind of funny when I think about it. I mean, Rick has-" Kai stopped mid-sentence as the phone began to ring again, but I'd already quit listening long before. My mind was clearly elsewhere, and as I stood there at his window, staring out onto the street only steps away, I just to ask myself what I was even doing there to begin with.

--

As soon as I came home, there was a note waiting for me on the door. Not surprisingly, I found Dan's usual scrawl telling me that he'd 'be out for the night' yet again. Although I knew I should've been disgusted with him, I just accepted it as another one of his particular... _quirks._ I'd leaned that, like Kai, there was really no point in trying to change him, so I could only accept these things as they came.

Instead of worrying about my unfortunate choices in human companionship, though, I whistled for Kuu while gathering up my things, but he didn't come right away. He was still at his new post by the window, it seemed, and he had no intentions of leaving it any time soon. In the past month, I'd even had to move his cage over to that side of the room just to get him to eat and drink. Every time I did look out through the glass, it was always the same woman standing at the edge of the dock which left me more than indifferent towards his behavior by this time. If he was so infatuated with her, that was his business. I had more important things to worry about.

"Get over here, you little brat," I scolded him teasingly. He merely cocked his head to look at me, but unlike dealing with Kai, I kept my cool fairly easily. "You've got to come downstairs with me for a minute is all, and then you can come right back," I explained which was what finally convinced him to join me.

Making our way towards the first floor with my bags in hand, we almost happened to pass by a young man as he fiddled with his key. If the suitcase and various boxes were some kind of indication, I could only guess he was just moving into the place. _I_ certainly had never seen him before in any case...

His hair was the same brown, an almost chocolate color, as my own, but while mine was rather short and curly, his was long and shaggy. What I found the most interesting, though, was the fact that he kept it held back in a loose ponytail which didn't seem to serve any real purpose. After all, most of his hair was falling out of it, and his bangs were only long enough to fall into his face.

When he caught me staring at him, he simply gave me a little wave and a bashful smile, his brown eyes somewhat faded like my own pair. And even though I normally wouldn't have given him any second thought, I happened to notice that along with his faded sweater and well-worn jeans... he also wore a gold cross around his neck. I wasn't a religious man by any means, having given up on God and whatever I had been taught about Him early in my youth, but somehow the sight of it assured me in some small way. Maybe the sight of the religious symbol brought back memories from my childhood; to be honest, I really didn't know...

However, my attention was quickly turned towards the woman headed over to us with a full head of fiery red hair and a pair of overalls. Compared to the rather outdated wood paneling on the walls, the old creaky floorboards, and even my new neighbor and I, she was probably the most brilliant sight to be found in the place, but despite her somewhat childish appearance, she still held an air of confidence about her. That alone earned her more than enough respect to make up for her short stature as well.

"Denny isn't causing you any trouble, is he?" she teased patting the man on the back which made him blush slightly. He murmured some reply, but since he spoke so quietly, neither one of us caught what was being said. However, she seemed more than willing to speak for him. "This is Cliff Haggardy," she explained. "He just found himself a job over your way, so he's gonna be staying here."

"Good to meet you," I said kindly with a nod. "It's rare to see a new face around here, but if you need anything, I can always lend a hand."

"Just don't hang out with him _too_ much," the young woman warned him with a laugh, "or Mr. Thompson here will have you skipping out on your payments!" She laughed then, shaking her head and causing her tight braid to whip about her shoulders. I only rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Now, Ann," I chuckled, "you know it was an accident, and I paid it off anyway." She put her hands on her non-existent hips while I said it, but she she couldn't keep herself from smiling at me in her usual, cheeky way. It was always hard for me to believe she was twenty-four with all those freckles of hers on her dimpled cheeks... "I'm glad I ran into you, though," I continued as Cliff slipped out of view and into his new apartment. "I've got a favor to ask."

"Well, then out with it."

"Could you look after Kuu for me?" I asked, scratching him under the chin. "It'll only be for a week or so, but even with my cousin here, I don't trust him to be responsible enough for something like this." The poor man couldn't keep a girlfriend, so as far as I was concerned, I couldn't bring myself to leave Kuu in his care, either.

"You know you can't sublease," she reminded me with a sharp glare from her icy blue eyes. Still, I knew better than to assume she was actually angry with me. Ann knew as well as I did that I'd be paying for his stay which was really all she had to be concerned with.

"He doesn't even have a job right now, so I've just been letting him stay with me," I explained, choosing not to mention his current relationship problems.

"I'll give him two weeks," she warned me with a heavy sigh, "and then he'd better be out of here or at least renting a place by himself." As if she were reading off of the lease itself, she continued to preach, "My dad opened this place, so folks like you and Cliff here can still have a place to call home. I won't tolerate deadbeats filling up space, though." Then she paused to cross her arms over her flat chest and added with a kind smile, "As for Kuu... I'll bring him downstairs with me later, so just leave everything out for me when you leave."

I nodded in agreement, but as I went to return to my room, Kuu flew away from his usual perch on my head and made a few quick circles. He fluttered about for a while in this manner until the door to Cliff's apartment reopened, and then, for whatever reason, he proceeded to land on the young man's shoulder without so much as an invitation to do so. Still, my new neighbor only blinked before a soft smile appeared on his chapped lips.

"So you raise mynah birds?" he asked rather simply.

"Only one," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry about that," I apologized. "Kuu's been acting a little strange lately." I paused for a moment as a another thought struck me. "How did you know he was a mynah bird anyway?" After all, very few people had ever seen one, so I was a little curious as to how he knew about them. Was he an avid bird watcher or something?

"I used to raise falcons," he explained, looking away sheepishly. "I had to stop, though, when the money got tight, and I had to move here to find work..." Cliff paused then, stroking the back of Kuu's head with his forefinger, seemingly in deep thought, and I caught the glimmer of sadness in his warm, brown eyes. "If you'd like... I could always take care of him for you."

--

I have to admit... I never liked walking through Kai's neighborhood at night.

It wasn't like it was on the bad side of town or anything, but I always felt horribly out of place there. While my building was surrounded by warehouses, lakeside factories, and low-budget housing, his was in the cultural hub of the city. Well... maybe not _high_ culture, but it was more than I'd ever seen in any case.

Street walkers strut right by me without so much as a wink in my direction, wearing their low cut, short-shorts and tight tube-tops, but although a couple glanced my way out of the corner of their smokey eyes, none of them seemed all that interested in me. Sure, I hadn't shaved that day... yet something told me that wasn't what was turning them off. Hell... they'd probably blow a grizzly bear with a twenty. Even so, maybe they just felt I was too much like them, being down and out on my luck. For all they knew, I could've been a homeless vagrant since I more than likely _looked_ it with two pillow cases for my luggage.

At last, though, I found the place I'd been looking for. However, it wasn't all that welcoming upon first sight... even compared to the street it was on. In fact, I think would've preferred sleeping in the alleyway instead.

The bricks of the old facade threatened to fall, and I could hear the shingles flacking off the roof itself in the gentle spring breeze. As I came to the door, I also found the green paint was beginning to peel. The cement of the stoop was cracking as well... with large chunks either broken off or missing entirely. You'd think that if he was so cocky about this lifestyle of his, Kai would find a better place to live.

Then again... the hookers probably weren't as plentiful elsewhere.

Even with these thoughts, I knew I still had to go inside, but to my relief, the interior was a far better prospect than its outdoor counterpart. Sure, the carpeting was an ugly avocado throwback to the seventies with faded burnt orange wallpaper and tacky wood paneling on either side of the entryway. However, such things were easily overlooked when I considered that the ceiling didn't have any cracks or other signs of weaknesses like a water spot or nailed boards keeping it up, and I could trust, at the very least, that the second floor wouldn't come crashing down on me any time soon. For me, that was perhaps the greatest comfort of all.

Picking my way carefully up seven flights of stairs, though, I felt a little unnerved as I stared down the hallways of every floor I passed. On the third, a man was sleeping soundly beside the door closest to me with grocery bags nestled around him. Up on the fifth, I realized that all of the lights were flashing in a sporadic manner, and the sixth had only one light at the end that flickered while the others were completely blacked out.

When I finally reached the top floor, I was almost _relieved_ to see that it had been renovated since I'd last paid Kai a visit. Here, there was no longer any stained carpet, for it'd been replaced with pine flooring. The wallpaper had been stripped as well, now revealing a fresh coat of white paint.

I passed the first three doors with no trouble, but coming up to the last two on the left, I was suddenly jumped. Still, as I went to swing at whoever had taken a hold of my arm, I immediately stopped myself with my fist poised in midair.

"Rick?" I asked, somewhat perplexed. The man nodded, his long, red hair falling under his thick frames and into his eyes. Compared to me, he was rather tall, but he was also a bit on the lanky side as if he'd never really grown into his body as a teenager. However, the grip of his large hand on my arm was firm, and I didn't doubt he had some serious strength despite his wool, turtleneck sweater and khaki slacks.

"You don't want to go in there right now," he warned. When I raised an eyebrow, he sighed and reluctantly explained himself further. "He's a little... busy if you get what I'm saying," he clarified with a hint of red on his unusually pale face.

"Oh..." I muttered, glancing over towards my friend's front door. _I guess I should've known._

"Come on in for now," he offered as he stepped aside. "It's probably going to be a while, so go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I just have to put the kids to bed, and I'll be back." Trailing along behind him in silence, I gave the place a quick once over which was something I'd grown accustomed to doing on such occasions. For me, it was rather interesting to know someone through the things they owned before I actually got to know them personally.

It certainly wasn't a shabby place to live, despite it being a small one-room apartment with five people living there. The kitchen was small, of course, with everything from the fridge to the cupboards being the same shade of off-white, and the dishes were neatly placed in the drying rack after the family dinner. If the kitchen seemed cramped, though, then the dining area was even worse. After all, there was only an old card table, two regular chairs, and a high chair. Over in the living space, they had an olive love-seat and a black and white television. They didn't seem to have much of anything, and yet... everything felt strangely comforting. It was almost as if _I_ was the one who lived there, not them.

Before I got a chance to peek in the bathroom, though, Rick reappeared from the small bedroom next to it. His hazel eyes were listless as if the burden of raising a family under such circumstances was almost too much for him, but he still smiled upon seeing me.

"Just sit down for a while," he said quietly as he pulled back one of the chairs. However, he didn't even get a chance to join me since soon there was a small child's call for 'Daddy.' He didn't bother to excuse himself as he whipped open the door again. "Natalie, leave your brother alone and go to bed like I told you!"

_"_But, _Dad~_ Elliot's in my bed," the little girl protested, peering out at me in an oversized T-shirt with wide eyes, which made it difficult for me not to laugh or even smile.

"That's because you two _share_ a bed," he retorted sharply. "Now go to sleep, or-" A sharp baby's cry finished the statement for him, and with a heavy sigh, he went back inside the small room. When he reappeared for the last time, he was cradling an infant in his arms. From what I could see of her chubby face, obscured partially by the pink blanket she was wrapped up in, I could just make out a pair of clear, blue eyes and a tuff of light, blonde hair. "It's no wonder Julia has so much trouble sleeping with those two," he sighed as she sucked on his finger contently.

"Is Karen here?" I asked abruptly, unsure of what else to say. I was good enough with kids, I suppose, but not having any of my own made it a little hard to relate which also made the conversation's current direction all the more daunting.

"No," he replied sharply, "she has work." Although I looked at him quizzically, he didn't continue, and instead he went over to the small television set. It was surrounded by a disaster area of legos and plastic Indians along with an army of decapitated nude Barbie dolls, and I nearly laughed to see him pick his way through them. When the TV flickered to life, the image rolled up and down the screen for a considerable amount of time until the broadcast finally became clear.

_"Following up on the Amber Alert which aired six months ago on our station for a child by the name of Willow, police have now located the kidnapper of the infant. She was found in the custody of the 'Phantom Thief Skye' and his alleged girlfriend whose name is not being disclosed at this time. According to witness reports, the perpetrator had been-"_

With another click, the reporter's face suddenly vanished as soon as it had appeared, and Rick returned to the dining table where I'd been sitting. "What's the world coming to..." he grumbled, shaking his head in dismay. "Children getting kidnapped... most likely over something like an affair or some other nonsense." I nodded weakly in agreement even though I hadn't paid the case any mind. High profile or no, it didn't interest me in the least. After all, it really was none of my business. "Your name's Denny, right?"

"Ah, yes," I replied, offering him my hand. He shifted Julia over to his other arm and shook it with a firm pump of his arm. "Sorry to bother you like this, though..."

"It's not a problem," he assured me. "I'm waiting for my wife to come home anyway, so you aren't exactly keeping me up." I glanced up at the clock hanging overhead, and when I realized it was already eight thirty, I frowned slightly.

"Doesn't she work at the Supermarket on Monroe?" I asked. "That place closes around four, right?" He glared at me, but I only gazed right back at him with a blank stare. I was just curious, and if he didn't want to tell me, that was fine. However, I wasn't going to stop staring until he gave me some kind of answer.

I could be pretty stubborn, too, when I felt like it.

"She has another part-time job," he replied. "She works afternoons at her family's place and nights at the other, so she won't be home for a while yet." I decided to let the subject go then since it was clear that he was getting frustrated with me. I didn't exactly want to get thrown out and deal with Kai's moment of passion, so I didn't see any sense in getting him riled up further. She was his wife, after all, which meant I shouldn't be concerned with how they chose to pay the bills. Especially considering they had such small children to care for...

Out of no where, I heard a loud, pleasurable moan coming from across the room, and although I was startled at first, I soon remembered that _Kai's_ room was adjacent to that very wall. Rick muttered something particularly nasty under his breath, but he didn't make a move to stop the noisy couple. However, when I got up to tell the lovely pair next door to shut the fuck up, he took a gentle hold of my wrist.

"Don't bother, Denny," he assured me. "He just wants to rile me up like he usually does."

"That doesn't make it right," I argued as Kai's laughter on the other side filled the small room. I bristled at the very thought of what he could be doing in there, but my fist only fell on the wall with a dull thud. Luckily for me, Eve was making too much of a performance for either of them to hear it. Just the sound of her cries made me sick to my stomach, and the fact that my friend was probably plowing into her didn't help matters any. "She used to be with my cousin," I told the man without really knowing why.

"You know," he began wistfully while standing and taking his sleeping daughter back into the bedroom. "I actually thought she was one of his_ old _girlfriends." I tried not to stare as he said it, but there was something about that statement that immediately made me wonder. _Could it be..._ "She was a blonde, too, if I remember right... but she had blue eyes, not pink."

"Was her name _'Claire'_ by chance?" I asked with a knowing grin.

_"That_ was it," Rick agreed with a slow nod. "They dated for about six months last year, and then she just stopped going over there," he explained further which was interesting to say the least. _What could it have been_, I wondered,_ that he did?_ It was obvious that the young woman still felt something for him, but did he feel the same way... that's what I still wanted to know. "I think that's the longest time he's been with the same girl... unless you count that busty broad with the bad dye job that visits him every now and then."

"Oh really?" I laughed, shaking my head. "Well, I can tell who that is, too, if you're interested." He looked like he wasn't too sure if he wanted to know any more about his neighbor's personal life, but I continued on anyway. "That's probably our boss."

Rick paled slightly to hear that little tid-bit, but he only slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh. "That's disgusting if you ask me," he mumbled with a frown. "Actually, _all_ of it is, but I guess that's how young people want to live their lives in this day in age. Everyone wants to sleep with everyone else without any strings attached." He paused for a moment, digesting what had just been said, and then he sighed once again. "The thing is... they forget that sleeping with someone is a bond in its own right."

"Very true," I replied simply, unsure of what else could be added to that statement. Maybe that's why I hadn't slept with anyone since high school... or it could've been I was just too lazy to bother. In any case, why go through all the trouble when I could be happier on my own? It was hard enough taking care of myself without worrying over someone else... "Can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure thing," he chuckled, motioning behind him. However, as I went to stand, he seemed to laugh a little, but I didn't really think anything of it. That is... until I happened to close the door behind me and looked over by the toilet.

"If you don't mind me asking, Rick... why the hell is there a _chicken_ in here?"

--

**Author's Note:** Yes, that news broadcast was a shameless plug for _Ghosts that Fade_ by The Scarlet Sky which is easily my favorite story of all time. Seriously, go read it if you haven't already! There are also going to be more easter eggs like that throughout the chapters, so be on the look out for more in the future. ;)


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I don't have rights to Rod Stewart or his song _Hot Legs_.

**Chapter Ten**

_"Please_ don't tell me you honestly want to go _home_ with me?" I groaned, resting my head on the steering wheel in agony. However, even with my belly aching, I guess the fact that Claire was already sitting next to me should've been enough of an answer. She was dressed in her usual pink coat with her blue eyes staring straight ahead towards the damned building we'd only _just_ come out of at frickin' eight o'clock when everyone else let out at five. She didn't seem to mind this fact, though. "Fine," I sighed reluctantly, "but we'll have to stop by a grocery store... I don't have anything at my place."

"Don't you hate my cooking, though?" she asked, finally turning her head to face me. Her bangs fell into her eyes, but I chose to ignore the sensations coursing through me as she brushed them aside and slipped her hair behind her ear.

"That's only because you're a vegetarian," I explained gruffly, starting up the engine. "Besides, you don't like take-out, so I can't exactly drop by Shirley's tonight." What I _didn't_ tell her, though, was that I actually _liked_ the thought of her cooking up something just for the two of us which was pretty damn unnerving. I mean... we were supposed to be _coworkers_, not some old married couple.

"Oh, you don't have to..." she insisted, clutching her purse tightly to her chest. Glancing over towards her once again, I found she was busy nibbling on her lower lip in deep thought, and as we drove on, the amber glow of the street lamps flickered across her worrisome face. Why did she sound so nervous? Just what was eating at her so bad? Even when she was dog ass tired, she was always bursting out with energy, so this didn't seem like her at all. She was too damn quiet... no questions about it.

With that in mind, although I probably should've felt relieved to bask in the wonderful silence that followed on our way through town, I couldn't help admitting that I missed her cheerful voice.

--

"Making yourself comfortable?" I grumbled as I looked at the evening's 'groceries' that were splayed out on my yellowed counter. You know... I was actually getting damn excited when I saw Claire pick out some potatoes, an onion, and a can of corn, but then she had to go find some broccoli and tomatoes as well. And while I'm at it, what the hell is 'garam masala' and 'cumin powder?' She'd also mentioned something about curry, but I had no friggin' clue what she was talking about to be honest. If it wasn't something I'd find on a diner menu, then I hadn't the foggiest of what she could be cooking up for us tonight.

All I knew was it stunk something awful...

"I really hope you don't mind that I'm staying here tonight," she said with a smile. At first, I only mumbled some half-assed reply, but once her words sunk in a little, I bashed my head on the roof of my fridge as I went to look at her.

"Wait, you're _what?"_ I blurted, nearly dropping the bottle of rum in my hand. She immediately frowned to see it, but my brain was still short-circuiting over the thought of her sleeping _anywhere_ in my hell-hole. "You can't stay _here,"_ I protested as I motioned towards my overcrowded living room. "I thought you were just staying for dinner, and then I'd take you home," I continued. After all, I figured that once she realized she didn't have to worry about me, my night could go on as usual with, preferably, me drowning myself in the syrupy liquid.

"You can't honestly tell me that you planned on driving me home after having any of _that,"_ she replied sharply, not bothering to look back at me while she toyed with my stove. I don't think I'd touched the damn thing since I moved in... Hell, I didn't even know if it was gas or electric, so she was on her own with that.. "Now, let me get started in here, so we can eat!" she laughed.

You know it wasn't _just_ the thought of my coworker, of whom I knew nothing about outside of business hours, staying through the night that got to me. Although it didn't have a chance in hell of ever happening, I could still see the likes of Denny or that bastard Kai staying here over night, but the fact that it was _Claire _brought up another issue entirely.

My rental wasn't exactly the kind of place that _any_ woman should see...

Since I never really had any company, unless you counted the occasional stray cat wandering through, the living area was probably what one could expect of an eternal bachelor such as myself. Every available inch of surface space was cluttered with various odds and ends from some printouts I took home from work to almost endless stacks of books, most of which I hadn't even _read_ yet. That wasn't even the worst of it, though. After all, I'd lost track of how many ashtrays I had laying around the place, all but overflowing with cigarette butts, and I hadn't vacuumed since only God knows when. To put it mildly...

I was living in a shit hole.

"Gray, do you have a TV or anything?" Claire asked suddenly. "I was hoping to catch House Hunters tonight, and-"

"Sorry..." I apologized gruffly as I began to try and pick up the place. "But all I get is CNN." She didn't seem too disappointed when I said it, but even with only a slight shrug from her in response, I knew she was trying to come up with another way to entertain herself. Not that I blamed her any...

"I have a record player you could always use," I suggested offhandedly. Claire seemed to perk up then, and I chuckled softly to see the light spark in her crystal blue eyes. Luckily for me, she seemed to be relatively easy to please. However, looking through my selection, I began to panic a little since I had no idea what she might like. Would she be alright with swing or did she prefer country? Probably not on both accounts which whittled down what I had to work with to just about _nill_. "Is Rod Stewart alright with you?"

"As long as it's music, I'm perfectly fine," she assure me with a laugh. "Just play something you like, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it." Well, I highly doubted _that_ would be the case being that I had some questionable content which wasn't exactly suitable for a lady's ears.

Flipping through the remains of my meager collection one last time, I decided that my first choice would probably be best. After all, I figured I couldn't go wrong with one of the classics.

However, after I got the record spinning and the needle down, the heat immediately flared up from my chest to my ears to hear, _"You got legs right up to your _neck..._ You're making me a physical wreck... _Hot legs!_ In satin-"_ The vinyl made a horrible screech when I snagged it, but I only sighed in relief to have stopped it before it went any further into the song. God help me if I was going to let her hear something like _that_, especially with her here alone with me...

"Come on now, Gray," Claire giggled. "I've heard that song at least a dozen times, so you're not hiding anything from me." I merely glanced over in her direction as she tossed some more vegetables into the pot and added a dash of salt. However, I also happened to catch the wistful expression on her gentle face at the same time. For some reason, though, that really pissed me off.

"Did you and Kai listen to this?"

I hadn't even meant to voice my thoughts, but it was clearly too late for me to take back everything I'd just said in that one, short statement. Her blue eyes widened while the wooden spoon in her hand clattered to the floor, and I took that as my final answer. In the sudden silence that fell between us, save for the soft hiss of the record which was still spinning endlessly on the turn table, we both stared at each other without a single word. Even when she looked away, my gaze remained solely on her. I just... couldn't believe it... especially since I didn't realize I'd gone so far as to suspect such a thing in the first place.

Now that I said it, I still wasn't sure what to think about that confirmation. Sure, her weird ass behavior suddenly made sense, but that new information also brought so many _other_ questions bubbling to the surface. Such as, but not limited to: Why the hell did she go out with a player like that anyway, and better yet, what the _fuck_ was she doing falling for him all over again?

I just couldn't make a damn lick of sense out of it.

"Gray," she began quietly, returning to her task. "It only lasted a couple of weeks, so don't worry about it... I'm fine. Really." But she wasn't 'fine,' and I knew it, maybe more than anyone else ever could because that was like me saying that _I_ was fine... In the end, it was just a lie meant to make other people feel better which was what pissed me off the most.

Whatever shit that bastard put her through, I wanted to know, but I still was smart enough to know better than to assume she'd tell me anything about it. After all, she'd protect him... just like she always did with me.

Trust me, I knew damn well that she covered my ass whenever I had too much to drink before, and even _during_, work hours. I hated myself for it, too. _Maybe that's what's _really_ bugging me,_ I thought as I brought the bottle of rum to my chapped lips. _It's not that I really care about her... it's the fact that she cares too much about me._ That didn't seem quite right to me, though, because I at least hoped I was better than that. I mean... as a real man, I _should've_ been better, but it didn't necessarily mean that I was.

And what's worse was I had started to talk myself in circles without even being drunk yet... However, something told me that all the liquor in my system would kick in sooner or later that night, and although I was hoping for the later, something told me I was going to fall hard and _fast._

--

"God damn, Claire... what the hell were you _cookin'?"_ I grumbled as I sniffed the air. My nose immediately burned with the horrible stench of cooked broccoli, and it was all I could do not to fuckin' _gag._ She didn't seem to even notice the offending odor, though, while she took another innocent bite of... whatever it was.

"I told you, it's broccoli curry," she explained before offering me a spoonful. "Go ahead and try some," she insisted with a playful grin which made me all the more wary of it.

"Not on your-" Just as I was about to tell her where she could shove it, I had a mouthful of the disgustingly slick substance with the few bits of rice that were mixed in, and when I finally managed to choke it down, it seared the lining of my throat. I coughed, of course, which only made her laugh in what I assumed was some sick manner of devilish glee. "That shit's _awful..."_ I gasped as I fell into another bout of dry heaving. Even my fucking _eyes_ were watering...

"Oh, it's not _that_ bad," she argued back. "You're taste buds are just dead from eating deep-fried foods," she teased with her small nose slightly upturned towards me. Although my face was already warm, it became even more so to see she was still smiling. Was it just me... or had I seen that smile somewhere before? Probably while she was getting all doe-eyed over that... _bastard._

"You're face is all red..." she observed, resting the back of her hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever, but-"

Before she could even finish, I'd taken a firm hold of her wrist, and giving her only enough time to make a small gasp and maybe a squeak of surprise, I'd pulled her into my lap. She blushed, of course, but she was too stunned to move. "If my face is red, then yours must be cute," I replied, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist and pulling her in closer to me. She was so scrawny... but I guess that was to be expected. After all, she'd barely ate anything even though she'd been so happy about making that damn curry. If I'd been thinking clearly, maybe I would've realized there was something very wrong with that...

"That doesn't make any sense, Gray," she sighed, finally easing into me.

"Of course it does," I assured her as I rested my head on hers and went to take her hands in my own. Although I only held them for a brief moment before she slipped them out of my grasp, I was surprised by how small, not to mention _cold_, they were. "You need to eat more," I scolded her, breathing in the smell of her strawberry scented conditioner that made her long, blonde hair so silky smooth every day. She stiffened slightly which I only shrugged off as a sign she wasn't comfortable with sitting on my lap. "I mean it, Claire," I continued, "you're too skinny if you ask me."

_"She's_ skinnier," the young woman seethed under her breath. I raised an eyebrow to hear her voice her opinions in such a way, but she simply fiddled with the hem of her little, black skirt. Even though I hadn't told her as much, I was well aware that it was new... The pink blouse she had on was, too.

"Who? Eve?" I asked to which she replied with a slow nod. "Ah... shit, Claire," I chuckled, nuzzling into her cheek, "that bastard ain't worth your damn time, and you know it."

"Please stop, Gray," she sighed. Then she glanced over to the brown bottle resting on the kitchen table, and she narrowed her eyes at in disgust with another disapproving frown. I followed her gaze, but I smiled lazily to realize that there was still over three fourths of it left. Truth be told... I didn't really care for drinking straight rum, but since it was all I had in the place, it would have to do. At least until tomorrow morning before punching it at nine... "How much have you had?"

"Now or at work?" I replied, letting her slide out of my grasp. She turned to glare at me with her hands resting on her narrow hips, which I could only guess were as bony as her ass. _"What?"_ I asked, with an innocent shrug.

"You were drinking at _work?"_ she challenged, her eyes growing darker. "Did you go to the _bar_ on your lunch break?"

"Hell no," I scoffed. "Check my coat pocket," I suggested, motioning over to the brown couch where I'd let it fall. She did as I instructed, and although it wasn't necessary, being that I already knew what she would find, she showed the empty flask to me anyway. "A college friend of mine bought that for me a couple years back," I explained. "Name was Blue... Real nice guy." Then after a short time, I found myself standing up to join her. "He died of liver failure last year, I think..."

"And you don't think there's anything _wrong_ with that?" she demanded, glaring up at me once more. Her small breasts rose and fell with her heavy breaths, but I kept myself from letting my eyes linger there for too long. However, it seemed that she still caught me since her cheeks flushed a bright red, and she crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

"Come on, Claire..." I chuckled, tilting her chin up. "We all go sometime."

"But that's no reason to poison yourself with that stuff!" she cried out, slapping away my hand. "You're just killing yourself, you idiot! You're just too _drunk_ to realize it!"

_"Hey,"_ I snapped back, taking a forceful hold of her slender wrest which caused her to flinch. "I may be buzzed, but I'm not fucking stupid." She blinked in surprise, her eyes wide and misted over with fright, but I didn't stop. "Do you honestly think I do this to myself for _fun?"_ I growled through gritted teeth. "I've dealt with more _shit_ in my life than you'll ever know... so don't start assumin' shit you don't know a damn thing about."

My temper spent, I drew away from her and headed straight for the open doorway that led into my room. However, she reached out for my shirt, and I stopped mid-step. As I stood there waiting for her reply, I heard her sniffle slightly, and to my surprise, I felt her rest her head on my back. "I'm sorry..." was all she managed to choke out, but I soon felt my frustration wane before it became nothing but a faint nagging sensation at the back of my mind. I really didn't mean to say that kind of thing to her when all she was trying to do was help... Why couldn't I just learn to keep my frustrations to myself?

"It's... alright," I assured her with a sigh. Taking off my hat for the first time that day, I ran my fingers through my matted blonde hair and let my shoulders fall back. "You... weren't tryin' to piss me off." With another heavy sigh, I muttered, "You were just worried."

_Like always_.

"Just let me, ah... clean off my bed, so you can get to sleep," I offered sheepishly in a poor attempt to change the subject to something more agreeable. After all, even in my current state, I knew I couldn't let her sleep on the couch like one of my old college buddies. She was a woman, and tipsy or no, I was expected to be a gentleman. If Kai couldn't treat her right, then the least I could do was one-up him in that department, so she also might give herself a _real_ chance at finding some lovin'... Despite my chivalrous suggestion, though, she seemed to have her _own_ ideas on how this arrangement was going to work.

"You aren't going to sleep on the couch, are you?" Claire asked. When I eyed her curiously, she shook her head in disbelief. "We're not teenagers anymore," she reminded me, "so I'm pretty sure we can handle sleeping in the same bed for one night like responsible adults."

_Don't bet on it,_ I thought doubtfully although I was sober enough not to open my smart ass mouth.

"Now," she began again as she walked ahead of me, "let's get things situ-" When she flipped the light switch, though, her words died almost immediately upon seeing the forest of decay laid out before her very eyes. If my living space was horrific, I was actually pretty damn impressed she hadn't fainted to see _this_ level of domestic carnage. From floor to ceiling, there was an overwhelming array of dirty clothes, ties dangling from the overhead fan, drawers falling out of my dresser, and even _more_ books to clutter up every other available space. My bed didn't fare much better, of course, but at least she could tell I'd slept in it recently by the thrown back covers and rumpled sheets.

"Gray... do you actually _live_ like this?" Claire questioned me while she continued to gawk in utter disbelief. When I gave her a solemn nod, she sighed and shook her head once again. "Alright then, I guess it'll have to do for now." Turning to face me, I could see the hopeful glimmer in her clear blue eyes, and she asked me tentatively, _"Please_ tell me you have a clean shirt I could wear to bed."

"Sure do," I agreed, opening one of the few drawers that remained intact to reveal a perfectly white T-shirt. Of course, we both chose to overlook the fact that it still had the sticker and tags attached to it...

"Well," she chuckled, "that's _one_ good thing, I guess." She immediately began searching for the bathroom which I kindly pointed out to her was off to her right. Luckily for her, I kept it in a more manageable order although there were still a few musty towels in a heap by the shower. However, she wouldn't have to fear looking into the sink at least. The rest of my house could look like hell in a hand basket, but even _I_ had standards when it came to cleanliness. No hair in the drain from my early shaving routine and no toothpaste smears, either. Even so... I-

_Wait... did the shower just kick on?_ Even though my behavior was as immature as one could get, I still found myself creeping up to the door with my ear pressed up against it. As expected, I could faintly hear her clothing dropping to the bathroom floor, _my_ floor, and that was a little more than I could take. I mean... Claire... _sans clothing?_ In _my_ house? Dear god... what the hell was I supposed to do about something like _that?_ Better yet, _should_ I do anything about it?

_You could start by opening that door._

I paused for a moment with a troubled expression on my face since that clearly wasn't my voice ringing in my head... It didn't _sound_ like me at least although it was still distinctly familiar. I know I'd heard it once before, but for the life of me, I couldn't put a name to it.

Glancing back towards the kitchen, I zoned in on the bottle I'd left there, and like a fish on the line, it reeled me right in. I had to get my mind off things even if it was apparently someone else taking the steering wheel of my thoughts, and a reckless driver at that. However, I only had a sip before Claire reappeared in my bedroom, and to my horror, not only was the white fabric slightly damp from her wet skin, the shirt I'd leant to her also barely grazed her upper thigh.

_You know... I never knew he had such toned legs. Look at those things. They go on forever._

That's when I realized it... _Kai_ was the one who had wormed his womanizing ass into my thoughts. Without even bothering to think about it, being as I knew who very well might be on copilot, I went straight to the sink and dumped the last of the bottle's remaining contents. It was quite the statement, too, since there was over half of it left. Still, I felt the rum was somehow to blame for that bastard's invasion of what should've been a train of reasonable thought.

"Gray?" Claire asked as I heard her slip into my bed. "Are you alright?" She sounded so concerned... but I wasn't about to fool myself into believing she actually cared. She was probably just grateful that she wouldn't have to deal with me drinking around her anymore tonight.

Little did she know that that meant I'd only have her to focus on.

"I'm fine," I assured her when I stepped back into the bedroom. I took off my hat once more and ran my fingers through my hair like I was accustomed to doing if I was nervous about something. "Listen," I began again, "this is just kinda... uncomfortable for me, so I'm just going to sleep on the couch tonight." Although disappointment flickered across her face, I remained firm, but it was more for myself than aimed towards her. "I... I'm not really myself right now," I continued with a hard swallow. "And I don't want to... ah..."

"Whatever makes you the most comfortable," she assured me with an understanding smile. However, the sadness hadn't left her eyes which made it all the harder to say no to her. "Good night, Gray," she said at last as she finally nestled in my blankets.

"Right..." I sighed, turning out the lights and disappearing into the darkness. "Good night..."

--

**Author's Note:** Kai's voice within Gray's head is actually taken directly from Jean Cooper's _My Enemy, My Friend_, and I highly recommend it even if you aren't exactly a Graire fan. It's a lot of fun!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

"Elli, could you make a couple copies of this for me?" I asked my secretary as I handed the paper over to her. "We need to have everything in order before next week, so we ought to making sure we have the proper documentation for everything."

"Of course, Ms. Hart," she replied with a slight bow. I watched as she slipped out the door, and only then did I allow myself to heave a rather heavy sigh. Work was finally getting to me it seemed which meant I was more stressed than ever. The head honchos apparently weren't convinced we were pulling our share of the workload, and so they'd arranged an 'inspection' of sorts. I knew that it was just their way of squeezing out that much more production out of us for the same pay, but it still didn't make _my_ life any easier.

I lit another cigarette, my third in only the last ten minutes, yet like the ones that came before it, there was no comfort to be found in its sweet smoke. Although I knew I should've been busy emptying out my inbox, the problem was that I didn't know where the hell to begin. I suppose the top of the pile was the most logical solution, but... I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe I was getting lazy, or perhaps I had forgotten how to take care of this kind of shit on my own.

Whatever my problem was... it sure as hell wasn't helping me get anything _done._

"Here you are, Ms. Hart," Elli chirped, placing the files on my desk. "Is there anything else you need?" Glancing up at her and those warm, brown eyes of hers, I couldn't help thinking she almost looked like a small puppy who was more than happy to please her master. Such a sweet girl... and yet she was stuck here with me on a Friday.

"Actually..." I began while tapping my pen on the desk. I _did_ have something I wanted to address although I'd already sent a memo out to my worthless employees. Still... "Can you call a meeting?"

--

The conference room was really nothing special which was probably for the best being as we rarely used it. What was the point with only seven of us around here? Besides, given the sage green walls and drab carpeting, no one would honestly _want_ to be in there for very long... if at all. However, I didn't build the damn place, so if the big wigs wanted to piss away their money, I had no reason to complain. As long as they still signed my paycheck, I was perfectly willing to have a useless space or two.

One by one, though, my little drones came marching in at a quarter to ten. To no one's real surprise, Vaughn was the first to arrive, his face stern in either diligent thought or annoyance since I could never really tell which it was. It was difficult not to smile upon seeing him, but because Elli was standing beside me, I wouldn't allow myself to show any signs of fondness for the man. He was a dedicated worker anyway... nothing more.

For that, I merely respected him.

Although I would've never expected as much from him, Denny followed soon after with his head slightly bowed. He had heavy bags under his eyes, but other than that, he was more or less the same slob he'd always been. Bad posture and all... Why we even bothered to keep him around, I wonder never know for certain.

Gray and Claire came in together which wouldn't have been of too much interest except for the fact that he didn't even glance her way. In fact, as her hand gently brushed against his, I noticed his entire face flushed a bright red right up to the roots of his blonde hair, and he turned his shoulder to her, stiffening all the more. She didn't even seem to realize his sudden coldness towards her, though, since she was too busy letting her gaze linger a short ways behind her, and I was staring off in that very direction as well.

"Shall we get this show on the road then?" Kai asked on his way in behind the young woman, making him the last of my lackeys to arrive. As he plopped in his his chair next to Denny, he stretched himself out and propped his feet up on the table, but he didn't even flinch when I shot a glare in his direction. Instead, the bastard actually had the gall to grin at me.

"Now that you're all here, allow me to explain our current situation," I began, narrowing my eyes at the rouge for a brief instant. "It would seem that the Board has decided that they may have to bring in a second branch to handle our company's financial matters," I explained while Elli stood beside me, jotting down notes. I snuck a glance at each of my employees, and I took some pride in knowing I still held whatever minimal attention span they had to offer. "Although I feel it is inevitable that they shall be making a new firm, we should still concern ourselves with doing our _damnedest_ to stay on top of things around here... even ahead of them."

I overhead Gray mutter something rather ugly under his breath, but Claire was quick to silence him with a nudge.

"Yes, that _will_ entail working a few more hours, but that is expected from each and every one of of you, including Elli and myself." I caught Kai and Denny exchange glances, yet although I knew that look carried an entire conversation, I didn't understand a fucking word of it. However, Vaughn remained stoic as ever, only offering a slight nod in understanding.

Knowing him, even considering how little I _did_ know of the man, that meant he'd just cancelled all of his previous engagements for the coming week.

"If no one has any further questions, then you're dismissed," I finished with a curt nod of my own. Without a moment's hesitation, they all slid back their chairs and stood to leave. However, it seemed that Kai had chosen to linger for a while longer, and to my surprise, we were completely alone together since Elli had all but vanished into thin air. "And what is it that _you_ need, Mr. Makani?" I asked through gritted teeth and a forced smile.

"Nothing more than a minute of your time," he assured me as he came towards me with slow, deliberate steps. Although he wore a gentle smile, the way my heartbeat began to pick up speed... I knew there wasn't a damn bit of kindness behind it. Like his ironed suits and buffed shoes, it was nothing but a disguise. Even his distinct cologne was meant to give a false sense of security as far as I was concerned. How many women had he deceived in such a way, I wondered... before he happened to sink his teeth into me? Did he treat them all the same, or was there something about me that made me more vulnerable than others?

"You're _still_ scared of me?" he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I told you that I'm not the same man I used to be," he sighed as he came ever closer. Soon enough... he'd slithered right in front of me, just like the fucking snake he really was, but it was just him, me, and the wall with no other alternatives.

"Leave me the hell alone," I growled as I straightened my back and looked him right in the eye with nothing less than absolute defiance. "I'll admit that you're easier to stomach-" He snickered wickedly then, resting his hand on the wall behind me, but I chose to ignore his unsurprisingly crude sense of humor. "But you won't _ever_ touch me again, or so help me God, I'll have your ass thrown in jail. After all...

Maybe it's time _you_ tried being someone's_ bitch_ for once."

He balked slightly, his dark eyes widening as he did so, but soon enough that cat-like grin of his returned although now it seemed even more predatory than before. "Oh... come on now, Gracie," he purred, slipping a finger under the front of my camisole, "that's not very-"

"Didn't you hear her?" a gruff voice snarled. "The little lady told you not to touch her." My gaze immediately fell just behind Kai to find Vaughn's dark figure looming over us, his violet eyes iced over with disgust. However, while the other man's tanned face paled, I heard myself breathe a sign of relief to have been found just in the nick of time. "I'm not exactly sure what you were planning on doing, Makani," he continued, "but it's not gonna be happening any time soon." He paused once more, closing his eyes slowly before opening them again with the same unnerving level of control. "Now _get."_

Almost as if he was a wounded dog, Kai reluctantly slunk off with his tail tucked between his legs, and only then did I allow myself to fall against the wall in defeat. It was like I couldn't _breathe_ with that unforgivable leach hovering over me all the time. I supposed it was partially my fault, though... being that I let him get away with putting the moves on me during more than one occasion.

Vaughn, on the other hand, merely kept his unwavering gaze fixated on the now vacant doorway. It was only after I coughed slightly that he even bothered to look at me again, and even then, it was like he didn't see me at all. I wondered if he'd ever seen anyone, though, since he seemed to live on another plane entirely. Some people were simply loners, but I honestly felt like he really was above the rest of us.

Then again... maybe it was just because I felt so damn low.

"I suppose this is when I'm supposed to thank you," I chuckled nervously, smoothing out my skirt. He raised an eyebrow for a brief instant, but as expected, the expression was gone in the blink of an eye which made me wonder if it'd ever been there at all. How anyone could maintain such a level of calm and self reliance... I would never know.

"I just came to get my pen," he replied as he slipped a ballpoint into the front pocket of his black shirt. "That's all." However, both of us knew full well that wasn't the case because no one had even brought anything with them...

"Okay then," I agreed with a knowing grin. "Then I guess I don't owe you anything." When I stepped around him, I was confident that I saw that ghost of a smile I'd only heard about in rumors, and I decided right at that moment that I liked it very much. After all, he wore it oh so well... However, I was still surprised when I actually heard him chuckle to himself, a low rumbling from deep within his chest that reminded me of thunder in the distance.

"Guess not."

--

"So your black knight came to your rescue, huh?" Elli asked cheerfully as she locked the door behind us. I felt my face warm when she said it, but I still couldn't hide my bashful smile. She simply giggled in reply to my unnatural expression, and I merely rolled my eyes concerning her giddy behavior. Good lord... she was such a... _girl._ "You must've been frightened, though," she added solemnly, her eyes becoming downcast. "I know _I_ would be..."

"Not really," I scoffed while pressing the unlock button on my key ring. The lights of my car flashed, and I smiled with smug satisfaction when I pressed the auto start. Technology could be a beautiful, though more often than not unnecessary, thing. "Kai _has_ gotten better, after all."

"How so?" she pressed rather doubtfully. Not that I couldn't understand her distrust towards the man, of course, since his current attitude was still god awful by anyone's standards outside his own.

"Just let me take you home, and I'll explain it to you on the way there," I offered as I slipped into the driver's seat. While she came to sit beside me, I added, "I don't like you riding the bus so late at night anyway." Could anyone possibly blame me for feeling protective of her, though? Elli was the eternal darling of all those 1940's and 50's glamour magazines, without the vacuum cleaner, and I'd be damned if I let drunk ass, sleaze bag lay a hand on my secretary. The very thought made my skin crawl in the worst possible way...

"You're much too kind, Ms. Hart," she thanked me, moving back the seat and crossing her legs ever so neatly. I almost chuckled to see how polite she insisted on being, even during off hours, and I had to wonder if she always behaved like this. Didn't she ever just want to cut loose once in a while?

"Come on now, Elli," I laughed quietly. "You don't always have to be so formal with me..." She simply raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, and I shook my head in amusement. "Just call me 'Grace,'" I explained to which she nodded in understanding.

"Very well," she agreed as she folded her hands delicately in her lap. I just rolled my eyes with a smile tugging at my lips. "So... please tell me Ms... Grace, what do you mean by he's 'gotten better?'" she continued. "Because if I may say so, he's absolutely disgusting in every possible sense of the word."

At that point, I couldn't help but throw my head back and _laugh._ It was as close as I'd ever heard the young woman come to cussing, but it was still pretty damn funny to hear her talk like that. Even her face seemed to reflect an utter, yet restrained, distaste for the man, and it was all I could do to concentrate on shifting my car into reverse. However, I laughed even _harder_ when the poor girl gave a shriek once I punched it out onto the quiet street. You know... I don't think I've _ever_ heard someone cry out "Merciful heavens!" in my car before, either.

"Let's just say I've known Kai for quite some time..." I began while we continued to cruise at a leisurely sixty miles per hour down the endless maze of side streets. I must admit that I was really proud of Elli, though, since she only gasped on the off chance I went the wrong direction on a one way. "Even before I even made it in the front door of this business."

Once we made it onto the freeway, the little woman slouched back into her seat with a sigh of relief. _Poor thing might not make it..._ I thought with a smile. "Where did you happen to meet Mr. Makani then?"

"It was on my last Spring Break in college," I explained, thinking back on the photo I still had stashed away in the bottom drawer of my desk. the image was as familiar to me as the back of my hand and, unfortunately, so were all the feelings I had back then, but of course, I always told myself that such feelings didn't exist in the first place. After all, it was just a spur of the moment thing. Just another one night stand...

"He was working as a cook in some local joint in Miami, but when I first met him... I was so shit-faced I can't even tell you how I ran across him." My companion might've frowned, but I only laughed at my own youthful follies as I rolled down the window and lit up a cigarette. "I was apparently speaking in Spanish," I mused.

"Why would you be doing that?" she asked with a peculiar look on her face. "I know you took four years of it, but I still don't understand how-"

"Because I usually end up speaking Spanish when I'm drunk," I chuckled while my hair flew about my face. "Luckily for me... Kai knew enough of it to find out where I was staying with a friend of mine, and he took me back himself." Elli only stared at me in disbelief. "I know he comes across a a real ass, but he _does _have a heart at times," I assured her with a gentle pat on her leg. Then I thought bitterly, _When he's not chasing pussy, of course._

At that point, I wasn't really sure if I should go on since... well... I honestly didn't want my companion to know much else. It wasn't as if he took advantage of me per se... but he certainly didn't waste any time getting to know every detail of my personal life. From how many guys I'd been with up until that point to what I liked and didn't like done to me, he went down the whole damn list on our way back to my hotel. What's worse was that I didn't have the sense to shut my fucking mouth, and it ran on and on until he left me in the care of my bewildered friend.

Speaking of which...

"You remember how I told you about that appointment I had with the manager of the new branch?" I asked to which Elli nodded in agreement. "That was actually my old college buddy... I really should introduce you sometime."

"Now, Grace," she chided me gently, "this is not the time to be changing the subject." Before I could offer her a reply, I realized that we were going to miss our exit, and I made a hard turn to the right, darting out in front of a semi in the process. She might've screamed in sheer terror, but I just rammed the gas pedal to the floor with all the force I could handle. Just by less than inch, we made it through unharmed, and I promptly flipped off the driver when he blew his horn.

"Go blow it out your ass!" I snapped at him as I glared into my rearview mirror. However, Elli remained absolutely silent, plastered to her seat while she clutched at both the oh-shit handle and her arm rest. Her small mouth had fallen open like a fish, yet in the way that only she could manage with those wide, fright filled eyes and goofy expression, she still looked as cute as ever.

"Like I was saying," I continued on with a wave of my hand. "The next morning I was fucked up something awful. Headache, nausea, sensitivity to just about everything... the whole shebang. But then I realized there was this good-looking piece of ass lying in my bed." Taking a moment to glance over towards my companion, I could tell she didn't approve of this part of the story at all, but being as she was the one who was so insistent upon knowing such things, I decided I might as well give her what she wanted. "So, of course, I was thinking, 'What the hell? Who the fuck is this guy?'

"The thing is that he was still wearing his clothes from the night before and so was I. Turns out that the only reason he was there at all was since my friend had been worried about me. Kai was just asked to keep an eye on me because my buddy wasn't exactly sure _what_ could be done."

"But that doesn't really explain why he treats you the way he does now," Elli said at last.

"Well, I couldn't just kick him out after he went out of his way like that for me," I replied. "We hit it off once I bought him a few drinks at the bar to make up for it, and from there... all I can say is it was one _hell_ of a ride," I drifted off wistfully as I recalled that week of unbridled bliss. Chowing down on deep-fried shrimp or conch nuggets and chatting with him while he worked at the restaurant, drinking piña coladas before five o'clock, and listening to Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley into the early morning hours.

Not to mention him taking me to the nude beaches during the day and skinny dipping at night which, I must admit, was pretty damn fun. Maybe that was because, for the first time in my life, I felt completely free of anything and everything my family and society had ever decided was 'the best' for me.

The steamy moments of heated passion weren't all that bad, either, since he was already well experienced in such matters. Especially with all the information he'd gathered from me during the first night babysitting me. Funny how he seemed to have that planned out...

If I'd known I might see him again, in a suit and tie instead of a faded pair of torn jeans, though, I wouldn't have been so careless.

Seeing him as one of my future employees had never crossed my mind, either, and I suppose that in itself wasn't all too surprising. However, what really shocked me was my reaction upon realizing it was the same Kai I'd met all those years ago when he came into my office for his interview. Even then, he'd been so smug... that shit-eating grin of his plastered on his face, and how could I forget that spark in his brown eyes upon recognizing me at first glance? Luckily for me, his credentials were good and his work, though ethically questionable most of the time, brought profitable results, or I sure as hell would've been found out for hiring him in a moment of nostalgia alone.

From there, though, I'd also somehow found myself in his bed on more than one occasion without even knowing how he duped me into it in the first place... He'd often use that fact against me to benefit himself in some way, too, which usually resulted in him getting extra vacation time. He was a cunning trickster if nothing else.

"Ms. Hart?" Upon hearing the soft, reassuring voice of my companion, I blinked to find myself back in my car with Elli still sitting beside me. Although it took me a moment to regain my bearings, I realized that we were already in the 'burbs, and without me even being consciously aware of it, we were fast approaching her quiet, little street. "Before we get to my house, might I offer a suggestion concerning Mr. Makani?"

"Of course," I sighed being as I was rather desperate for advice of how to deal with the man. I was clearly at my wits' end, but even more so... I just wanted someone else to take the burden of making a decision about what to do with him. I sure as hell was incapable of it by the looks of things since I couldn't even _fire_ the bastard.

"Have you ever considered sending him to a sensitivity training course?" Elli asked while we pulled alongside the charming little house with the white picket fence she called home. When she said it, the car lurched to an abrupt halt, and I stared at her in utter disbelief. She had done it again, it seemed...

"Elli, you're an absolute _genius!"_ I cried out, hugging the young woman around the neck. "That's _just_ what we'll do!" After all, even if bastard didn't learn a damn thing about _real_ women, at least I was guaranteed his complete humiliation. "What's worse than an egotistical ass like him having to sit through a required therapy session?" I chuckled as I lit another cigarette, the small cancer stick bouncing between my lips.

While I continued to laugh, I could see my secretary shaking her head sorrowfully, no doubt thinking that I'd missed the point of sending him to such an event entirely, but I knew she honestly hoped to rehabilitate the man. Still, I couldn't help the having the image of the poor bastard's face when I told him what his 'punishment' would be for trying to make a smooth move on me. This would be _far_ better than Vaughn's cold and icy stare, too, since word would spread through the office rather quickly to seal his fate.

"And one last thing," Elli began as she stepped out of my car and bent down to look through the opening. "Do you remember that dinner I offered you about a month or two ago? The invitation is always open to you," she assured me with a kind smile. I also smiled gratefully up at her when she said it, but soon enough she was trotting up her driveway, into her cozy little home, and out of sight.

It was at that moment I felt a pang of regret because I realized how cruel and heartless I must've seemed just then, laughing at Kai's impending misfortune. Especially when I thought back on that last remaining photograph of he and I from that spring so long ago...

That was all I had left from those days, and in it, Kai was carrying me bridal style as he stepped onto the yacht he'd borrowed from a wealthy friend of his. The sun had shown off of his bronzed skin, yet it all but fried my pale and tender flesh after having spent the entire winter up north with clouds overhead and a blanket of snow underneath. I still smirked to recall how he'd convinced me not to bother with wearing the top half of my bikini top for the entire trip to sea. I also remembered I'd sworn never to do it again because my chest was burned for the remainder of the week.

However, what I haunted me the most was the fact that I hadn't told Elli everything I knew of the man. It was the only heartfelt truth I had to his identity which was something I treasured even more than that photo. The thing I knew was quite beautiful in its simplicity as well.

More than anything... Kai hated to be alone.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

When your day starts out with a pillow slammed in your face, you pretty much know your life is going to be hell for a while. Either that or it's going to be fun, but given the amount of force behind the swing, I was sure it was the former of the two. However, I wasn't exactly ready for all this at five in the morning...

"You said her name _again!"_ a woman's voice screeched in my ear as I got nailed once again. I only groaned and covered my head with my own pillow, but apparently Eve wasn't having any of it since she ripped it away from me just as soon as I'd muffled out her complaints. "I mean it, Kai... I've had enough of you talking about her in your sleep!"

"Who? Claire?" I asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes with a yawn. Not getting an answer from her right away, I simply flopped back down onto the mattress which caused the soft ebb and flow of the water to nearly lull me back to sleep. However, my girlfriend insisted on continuing to glare at me while she sat at the end of my bed with her arms crossed over her chest until I opened a lazy eye. Why was it that she had to fight with me when she was looking like that? After all, having her stripped down to absolutely nothing and entangled in my satin sheets made it rather impossible for me to have any hopes of ever winning the argument... "Oh, come on, babe," I purred as I sat up and began crawling towards her. "She doesn't mean a thing to me anymore."

"Oh _yeah?"_ she challenged, narrowing her unusual pink eyes. "Then why the hell did you say her name last night?" I paused to think that over for a moment, but I really couldn't remember saying anything about my adorable, little coworker. "You called me _'Claire,'_ you son of a bitch!" Oh... so that was it.

I'd barely managed to duck before Eve made a swing at me with the palm of her hand. It wouldn't have been the first time she slapped me, of course, but she'd been growing her nails out again which meant I'd probably have more than a red mark to worry about. It was one of those things that reminded me why I really should start dating women with a little less aggression and a lot more sympathy. At least they might understand that a man slips up every now and then...

"So does that make me Dan?" I shot back venomously. Her face immediately burned a deep scarlet, but I didn't stop there since I wasn't exactly in the best state of mind, being both tired of and frustrated with her.

"Don't start accusing me of shit when _you're_ just as guilty, missy," I growled as I picked myself up off the bed in disgust. "I slipped up _once,"_ I reminded her, choosing not to count this morning's episode, "but _how_ many times have you called me that bastard's name now?" She refused to look me in the eye while she continued to blush furiously, and I, of course, took that to mean I was right in my suspicions. "You know... if you honestly miss him so damn much, why haven't you gone after him already? You know Denny's only here because that worthless-"

"Just _get out!"_

Without even thinking about performing such a maneuver, I instinctively ducked outside my room with a blanket in tow just as Eve whipped one of her perfume bottles from the end table across the room, and when I shut the door behind me, I heard it shatter against the wall. That pretty much guaranteed that I wouldn't be letting any company of the feminine variety into my room for some time. Not that I was looking, of course... but it was still a thought I needed to consider.

My first matter of business, though, concerned a certain friend of mine who'd apparently been listening into our little lover's tiff. In the dim light of my desk lamp, I found he was peering over my leather couch in my direction, and there was something akin to a smirk on his thin lips. _"What?"_ I snapped angrily, hoping to scare him off.

"Oh nothing," he replied with a chuckle as he turned around again. However, he didn't stay quiet for long, and I felt the hairs back of my neck stand on end for some reason. Just what was he so smug about this early in the morning? "Must've been _some_ argument..." he mused before glancing back my way once more which let me catch that shit-eating grin of his. I simply raised an eyebrow, but he only shook his head and explained,

"You even forgot to put on pants..."

--

"I swear to God that woman can be a nightmare to live with," I muttered to Denny while we continued to drive along in my car. However, it wasn't much of a conversation since he was actually dozing off with his head resting against the window. Like always, there was also a bit of drool sliding down his face, but I didn't think anything of it. After all, it was no surprise that he was so tired being that Eve had woken us both up at such an ungodly hour. "She can be such a bitch about the _stupidest _shit..."

"Kai, that's not very nice, you know," my friend chuckled, clearly not as soundly asleep as I'd thought. "You _do_ say Claire's name sometimes when you're sleeping," he reminded me as he stretched himself out like a cat and yawned. "Girls can get jealous just as easily as you can."

"Denny," I sighed, shaking my head. "I don't get jealous."

"How can someone who's such a bad liar lead so many women astray, I wonder?" he teased with a knowing grin. I felt my face warm slightly and just rolled my eyes, but he seemed rather satisfied with himself all the same. Since when did he become such a snarky, little bastard anyway? Usually he'd stay quiet while I did all the talking, and now he was trying to make snappy one liners? What the hell had happened?

"Come on now..." he continued. "We both know you were jealous of Dan from the start, but there's really nothing wrong with admitting to it." I only glared at him in reply. "Suit yourself then," he sighed with a shrug. "But there can more to someone's happiness than just living the high life," Denny tried to explain. "Sometimes all a person needs is someone that loves them for who they are. Maybe that's what Eve thought she found in him?"

"And you think I don't love her?" I challenged. I was trying to keep focused on the road, but I could only hope that my friend wouldn't realize that we'd gone through a red light.

"Let's be honest, Kai," he began with a heavy sigh. "You just wanted another notch in your belt." It was probably a good thing that I was white-knuckling the steering wheel at that point because otherwise I think I would've slugged him. I wasn't sure what the hell his problem was, but I was getting sick of dealing with this shit. I never was one to easily lose my temper, either, so that was really saying something fierce.

"Trust me," he began while crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "I know better than anyone than Dan can act like a total ass after living with him for so many years." _So why defend him?_ I thought bitterly as I pulled into the parking lot. "But I also know he loves Eve more than any other girl... He's never cheated on her, you know, and that's saying a lot for him."

"I never cheated on her, either," I reminded him sharply. However, he didn't reply since he was too busy opening his door and stepping out into the fresh, spring air. There was still a faint smile working its way across his lips, though, and I knew it probably meant trouble for me. He was getting awfully smug about my personal life as of late which made me wonder whether or not I should continue to tell him anything from now on. If he was just going to keep using it against me, I wasn't about to dig myself any more holes.

"Really?" Denny mused with a chuckle. "Then why have you been hitting on Grace so much lately?" When I didn't answer him, he added wistfully with a knowing grin, "And then there's Claire..."

Although he clearly wanted to say more, the very girl he was referring to suddenly waved to us on her way in the front door. She was wearing that same beautiful smile that she'd had on when I first met her four years ago, and in that moment, I only had one question for myself. One that I'd been asking myself ever since I let her go, and the very one which would probably continue to go unanswered for as long as I continued to know her.

Why the hell couldn't I help her... especially during the time when she needed me most?

However, there wasn't any time to dwell on such thoughts since I had a busy workday ahead of me, and I wasn't ready to dwell on anything concerning the young woman in the increasingly short skirts and flirty blouses. For her sake more than my own, I just wished she would quit trying so damn hard...

Of course, that being said, I knew that this favorable change in her wardrobe was meant for my eyes alone, but that made it even harder for me to ignore her which was about the only thing I was serious about these days. Still, I knew it was better for both parties if I just continued to treat her with comfortable indifference. She really should've known, perhaps more than anyone else, that I could avoid becoming entangled in struggles outside my own. That kind of man wouldn't ever be the one she so desperately needed.

I sure as hell wasn't responsible enough to _become_ that man, either.

--

"Can you fucking believe it?" I muttered, all but completely exasperated. "That woman honestly expects me to go to _sensitivity training_ of all things? I didn't even know that kind of bull shit still existed..." I guess I should only assume that Grace had been the one to cook something like that up as a suitable punishment for the likes of me, but I still had a sneaking suspicion that Elli was in on it, too. Maybe she'd even been the master mind behind it...

After all, out of the two, she seemed to be the one that had it out for me.

"Well, of course it does," Denny replied while he set his unopened menu off to the side. When I raised an eyebrow in his direction, he went on to explain in his usual matter of fact manner. "As long as guys like you are around in the workplace, they'll always be something for women to fight back with," he quipped with a slight air of arrogance about him. I glared at him in annoyance, but for whatever reason, he still felt it was acceptable for him to continue. "If you ask me, you're just lucky no one's filed for sexual harassment yet."

He didn't even get a chance to flinch before I smacked him upside the head, but he didn't seem too fazed by it after the fact, either. It was like I hadn't done anything to begin with. Knowing him, it'd probably just sent an echo through his head since he didn't have much in the way of tact or common sense.

"You know he _does_ have a point," Gray grumbled from his side of the table with what I assumed to be a smile.

At that moment, I could only throw up my hands and shake my head in defeat since it seemed as if no one was with me on this. It was beginning to look like I would have to actually go through with the damn thing whether I liked it or not. It shouldn't be too hard to charm my way to walking out of there completely scot free, though, so I really didn't have much to worry about in the end. The only thing I had to do was play my cards right, and when I considered the odds, I had a pretty good hand. Even so, charm could get me just so far before I had to rely on my wits alone. I was crafty, don't get me wrong, but...

Before I could think the situation through any further, though, Muffy came sauntering up to us with our orders and a beautiful smile. She always looked great, but _god damn..._ what I wouldn't have given to take her out back right then. That waitress's uniform was just _begging_ for me to slip it off of her, and yet it was one of those unfortunate situations where my hands were more than tied. "Here you are, boys," she purred as she set the plates down for us. "Chase is really on the ball today, so they're hot 'n' ready for ya."

"How about you sit with us for a while then, sweetheart," I teased, pulling out a chair for her. "They've got you running all over this place." Then as I glanced down at her feet, I observed with an amused chuckle, "And in _stilettos_ no less."

She laughed and promptly sat down beside me, her loose curls tumbling around her delicate shoulders in what could only be described as a rather _seductive_ way. I could only imagine running my fingers through those luscious locks until I had the opportunity to let my hands roam elsewhere... preferably over some of her more satisfactory curves. Unfortunately for the both of us, I had a strict policy against going with a married woman...

With maybe _one_ exception.

"Don't get too close to him, Muffy," Denny warned quietly with a smirk. "This one just got himself in trouble with a few of the ladies for his womanizing ways." I shot him a glare, but I actually heard Gray chuckle slightly as well. These two just couldn't let me have my fun today, could they?

"Now how'd _that_ come about, honey?" she laughed, whipping her hair back as she did so. What was it with me and blondes anyway? Muffy, Eve, Grace (after she dyed it)... _Claire..._ Need I go on?

"Only God knows," I sighed, resting my elbow on the table. It was the truth, too. You see, I couldn't honestly say what I was trying to do concerning the women in my life since I wasn't exactly thinking all that clearly as of late. All I could figure was that maybe I was just restless because being with one woman for so long just wasn't in my nature. I was meant to roam, after all, but here I was in a dead end relationship with no apparent way out.

"So tell me, honey, how bad do you think it's gonna be during that course I heard you boys talking about?" Muffy teased with a giggle. "Are they going to be able to reform you, or can I still count on having my sugar daddy for a little while longer?" I merely laughed along with her before planting a kiss on her cheek which made her blush. "Kai!" she shrieked although she was still smiling. "Now what would my husband say if he knew you were getting all sweet on me?"

Although we were having fun entertaining ourselves, neither Denny or Gray seemed all that amused with our playful antics. Not that they would ever understand our sense of humor anyway, being as neither one of them had ever held onto a date for any considerable amount of time. Hell, I don't really know if they ever bothered to begin with since neither one of them ever talked about their personal lives much. Even so, it still would've been nice to see one of them at least crack a smile.

However, Denny was too busy staring off into space while Gray slipped a hand inside his coat and poured a bit of whiskey into his coffee. He knew we could all see, of course, but it seemed that he was past the point of no return, choosing to drink in public without any concern for possible repercussions.

Just as I was about to call him out on his little drinking problem, though, my phone began to ring without warning, and I groaned to hear it was Eve's all too familiar ring tone.

"Sorry, my darlings," I excused myself with a chuckle, "but I think the little lady is calling me." Muffy feigned a sigh for what could've been before she giggled at her own performance. Griffin was one lucky guy to have a girl like that if you asked me. So many of them just took things way too seriously...

I had just gone to answer the phone when it suddenly stopped ringing, and upon looking at the illuminated screen, I found it had already switched her over to my voice mail. I tried to catch her on the line before she hung up, but it was already too late. I heard was nothing more from her than a click and the dial tone that followed it. "Dammit, woman," I cursed under my breath. "Can't even wait for me to pick the fucker up..." Of course I knew it wasn't her fault that I missed her call, but I was still on edge about that morning, it seemed.

What I heard next was more than enough to send me right over, though.

_"Kai, this is Eve."_ Well, no kidding... _"I was just planning on heading out without telling you, but... I figure you've been good enough to me to at least say good-bye."_ Wait, did that mean she was leaving?_ "Don't worry about my things, Dan and I managed to get everything in his truck, so..."_

Although her voice was still telling me the details of why she was leaving, how sorry she was, and all that garbage I'd told countless girls before, I'd quit listening after that crucial point. After all, it was pretty clear what was happening. Eve was leaving me...

To go back to _Dan _of all people.

However, staring at my phone... I couldn't really believe it at first. Was this how she planned on paying me back for all I'd done for her? I'd even gone ahead and found a place for her to stay which was closer to where she worked, so then she wouldn't have to worry about ending up out on the street once I broke it to her that things just working out. And now of all times she was honestly going to ditch me for some dumb ass with a pick up truck and a gambling problem?

Suddenly, there was the abrupt click I'd heard only moments before followed by another woman's voice, one I was all too familiar with even not knowing her or name or whether she had one to begin with. "_If you'd like to hear the message again, please press one... Please press pound for more options..."_

So that was it? No 'thank you,' no 'it was fun while it lasted,' not even a 'let's do it again sometime...' All I got was an 'I'm sorry' and that was just as false as her long eyelashes. I'd never been played like this before although some would say I'd done the same to plenty of girls, so therefore it was only fair. However, that wasn't how it'd been with Eve. At least I'd given her some stability in her life which she'd only ended up throwing away for someone who couldn't even help her pay the rent.

No matter... I could always find some other girl to mess around with for a while. It wasn't hard to find them, after all, because for every man there's at least one woman to keep him company late at night. And I had _just_ the girl for such an occasion, too. She was still on my speed dial even though it was officially 'over.' The only problem was... I'd have to forget about having a conscience, and that wasn't going to be easy.

Not even for scum like me...

_--_

**Author's Note**: Once again, thank you to Jean Cooper for helping me out with this making some critical decisions concerning this chapter since I was really stuck, and without her, this chapter would've flopped entirely.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Denny, can I talk to you for a minute?" Glancing up from the order form I'd been busy filing out, I found a young woman standing at my desk gazing down at me expectantly. Although I recognized the voice, I never would've thought it'd find me here of all places. After all, she didn't really have any business in the mail room... For the most part, no one other than Kai ever bothered to drop in anyway which also left me in a bit of a daze.

"Claire?" I replied simply, standing up from where I'd been sitting. "Were you looking for something here?" It wasn't as if I wasn't glad to see her, but it felt a bit strange for her to be standing right in front of me. She just seemed like the kind of girl I was only meant to hear about and never actually meet face to face. Besides... I didn't have a lot of experience with women, and if I was right, the uncertain tone of her voice meant trouble.

Also...

Being that she _was_ a woman, not to mention one who had been with my lecherous friend at some point, I had a feeling our peculiar meeting would become rather awkward in a matter of minutes. By the lost look in her eyes, I was probably more right than I ever wanted to be.

"It's just... about Kai..." she began nervously. However, she soon paused and sighed heavily, hanging her head in what I could only assume was defeat, and I couldn't help but sigh as well. This wasn't going to be easy, was it? Even with Eve out of the picture, it seemed that my dear friend was still causing me trouble which I suppose was only to be expected. I also had to admit I'd see this one coming from miles away... Ever since Rick gave me that token of information about their previous relationship, I knew I'd gotten myself caught right in the middle of a serious situation.

"What about him?" I replied, standing up slowly from my chair. "If you're wondering, he's single again," I teased with a slight chuckle to see her blush.

"R-really?" she squeaked as she tried to hide her burning cheeks. "I mean, I wasn't going to ask about _that,"_ she insisted although we both knew full well that it was at least something along those lines. I merely smiled knowingly at her since I was more than aware of her crush on that rogue of ours, but I didn't say anything more.

"Since you mentioned it, though," she continued on, "is he going to be alright?"

"Don't see why not," I assured her as I browsed through my files one last time and paced the room. "He bounces back pretty quickly from these kind of things, so I don't think you have to worry about him all that much." Claire didn't appear to be fully convinced of this, though, which bothered me a little. She was getting in too deep with this one... and all I wanted to tell her was to let him go. However, I didn't exactly know _how_ to. After all, I didn't really know if I wanted to get dragged into this little drama any further. I usually tried my best to stay out of other people's business, yet lately that's _all_ I was doing.

"Just give him a little time," I suggested lamely, unsure of what else to say. "He's never really been dumped before, so I think he's in something of a state of shock at the moment," I explained with another chuckle. Claire only nodded in understanding, but I was still troubled by her concern for him. Kai said he didn't want to hurt her... However, he had also said a lot of other things that I wouldn't dare repeat to anyone which left me more than a little wary concerning the thought of possibly pushing her back to him. "If he left you, I'd advise leaving things just the way they are."

"What do you know about that?" she asked, her eyes frantically darting up to meet my own before regaining her composure. "Did Kai tell you?" she pressed in a softer tone. "Because if he did, I just want you to know that I-"

"Claire," I said firmly as I sighed and shook my head. "What I heard came from someone who has nothing to do with this company _or_ you," I assured the young woman while handing her the latest issue of _Women's Health_. "All I know is that you two were together for a little while... That's all. Honest."

She seemed to accept my answer with an expression that could only be described as relief, and although it was more or less the truth, I was still glad to know she bought my explanation. Kai's affairs were entirely his own at this point, and being as I didn't know Claire all that well, either, I decided that this was my time to bow out gracefully. Let them work it out between each other because I needed to get back to my own quiet, little life...

Even if the last thing I wanted was to be dull and ordinary.

--

I wasn't exactly sure what to think when Cliff had invited me to visit his apartment. To be honest, I actually found his offer to be a little strange since we only lived a door away from each other, and there was also the fact we barely knew one another. Still, he had been kind enough to look after Kuu for me during my brief stay with Kai, so I really couldn't bring myself to refuse the offer. When I asked if I should bring anything, though, he merely smiled and told me that my presence in his home would be more than enough. That in itself was rather peculiar, but that warm feeling I'd had upon first meeting him had come again.

However, walking into the place left me feeling more than a tad guilty for showing up empty handed. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a white sheet laid out underneath him, and there was a bottle of red wine and a loaf of homemade bread resting in the center. Since I could only assume it was meant for us to share, it was no wonder I was feeling a bit low for coming at all. He obviously didn't have much in the way of food... and yet he'd gone out and bought something special for my visit.

"So you decided to bring Kuu along with you as well?" he observed with that soft smile of his.

"Yeah," I agreed as my little friend flew over to join the man. I would've apologized for bringing him without being given permission to do so, but since Cliff simply offered him some bread crumbs, I had a feeling it was more than okay. The guy really did have an appreciation for birds, it seemed.

"Come and join me," he insisted, motioning towards the empty space across from him. "I'm sorry that I can't offer you an actual seat, but I only have what I can carry," he explained which, upon looking around the place, was a bit of an understatement.

Even though I was certain he was completely moved in by now, all the cupboards had been thrown open, and each of them were noticeably bare. There wasn't even a can of soup or packet of ramen to be found, and I had a sneaking suspicion that his fridge was in the same sorry state. He didn't have a coffee maker, either, which I thought was practically inhuman. After all, I usually found that I couldn't function without my morning caffeine fix at the very least. Other than that and a missing radio, though, everything else mirrored my own apartment... right down to the mattress on the floor.

"Forgive me for letting you see all that," he apologized with a heavy sigh. "Ann stopped by earlier, and when she realized that this was all I had, she insisted on going through everything..." I nodded in understanding since I wouldn't doubt she'd be the kind of person who'd do such a thing. "I don't think she honestly believed me," he added with a faint smile after a moment of silence.

"Probably not," I agreed with a faint chuckle. "She does need to realize that most of us have those kind of troubles, tough..." It was unfortunately the truth since the entire building was only rented out to those of us on the lower rungs of society, myself included. We were the individuals on the brink, hovering between poverty and middle class. One raise or a promotion could tip the scales in our favor, but just as easily, a pay reduction or downsizing could leave us out cold on the street. Of course, I found myself teetering on the edge from time to time as well...

At least it taught me how to live for the day instead of pining away for one that would never come.

"Do you always spend so much time thinking to yourself?" Cliff interrupted my thoughts as he tore off another small hunk of bread. I felt my face warm slightly, but he didn't seem to be annoyed with me at all. In fact, he looked somewhat amused. "That's a very rare quality, you know."

"Only because people can't do anything with it," I scoffed, lifting my gaze up from the floor once again. When I did so, though, Kuu fluttered up to his window, and we both watched him with mild curiosity for a short while. However, being that I knew what he was up to, I simply returned my attention to the small room while I sipped at my wine. I immediately noticed the Bible resting on his bed, and from there, my eyes fell onto a small cross hanging just above his door. There also seemed to be a few verses scribbled on the walls wherever he saw fit to write them. "Have you started working yet?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Not yet... but the building's already up," he explained. "I should be starting in a few weeks, though." He paused for a moment, and then added as an afterthought, "I only work on janitorial, so it'll still be a struggle to make ends meet in any case."

"But living is always a struggle," I mused. "Even if you have a high paying job, a fancy car, or that pent house suite... you can still be miserable."

"This is very true," he chuckled. However, his interest returned to Kuu soon enough, and I reluctantly followed his gaze. "Your little friend seems awfully interested in something out there, but I have no idea what he could be looking for..." he observed, sounding somewhat saddened by the thought he would never know. I only chuckled since I knew full well what my small companion was staring at.

"It's a woman that hangs around the docks," I explained. "He's been watching her for weeks, but I don't have a damn clue as to why." Cliff smiled then as his warm eyes returned to me. Every move he made seemed so deliberate and controlled, and yet I didn't feel like he was faking any of it. He was too gentle and kind for me to have any doubt that he wasn't being completely honest with me, and that only made such movements all the more mesmerizing. "What is it?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Have you ever thought about going down there to meet her?" he pressed, motioning for Kuu to return to him with a crook of his finger. And I'll be damned if that little bastard came right to the man, either. "You know..." he continued wistfully. "Sometimes animals, especially birds- from my experience at least, know things that we would never acknowledge as having any significance in our lives."

I just continued to chuckle and shook my head in disbelief. "Cliff, what would I even say to her? 'Sorry, miss, but my pet bird and I have been watching you for some time now from my bedroom window... Oh, and by the way, the name's Denny?'" Then I snorted and said, "Yeah... _that'll_ work."

My host didn't say a word as he raised his glass to Kuu's gluttonous beak, but there was a still hint of amusement in his warm, brown eyes. He was at such peace with himself that I wondered if anything in this world could shake him. Gazing at the golden cross hanging from around his neck, I continued to wonder if maybe that was where his strength and trust in life truly lay. As long as he wore it... did it make him feel assured it would all be for the best, or was there another, deeper power within it that only a true believer could hope to understand? Perhaps I should've asked him, but then again...

I don't think I was quite ready to.

--

"Why in God's name am I even doing this?" I muttered as I drew my plaid jacket tighter around my shoulders. It may have been well into spring now, but down by the docks, a cold breeze still made its way across the lake which nearly froze me to the bone. I really couldn't explain why I took Cliff's advice although I was beginning to realize the truth was that I'd been thinking of doing this for quite sometime. The only reason I hadn't until this very moment was because I needed that extra little push, I guess.

The air might've chilled me all the way to my core, but I still felt refreshed to be near the water again. However, the only _real_ reason I had brought my fishing pole with me was for cover since I was still unwilling to honestly explain to the woman why I was there in the first place. I was just hoping she wouldn't realize that it was too damn cold for the fish to even consider taking a bite.

Didn't help that I'd forgotten to bring _bait_, either...

However, the hardest thing about coming down to the docks was not gawking at all the fishing trawlers and even the smaller boats that were harbored there. With my meager paycheck, I knew I was just chasing pipe dreams by even _looking_ at them, and that's why I kept my mind preoccupied with counting the gray, wooden planks as I stepped over them instead... It was just more reasonable than wishing for something I could never hope to have.

"Excuse me, but... what are you doing?" I glanced up suddenly to see a woman standing there, blinking curiously at me with stormy, blue eyes, and without warning, my mouth went unforgivably dry on me. I really shouldn't have been surprised, though.

After all, with my luck, who else would happen to find me but the very person I'd been looking for?

"Just coun- I mean, I was just planning on doing some fishing is all," I replied while trying, and failing, not to make a complete fool of myself. Why was I even here anyway? I had enough problems at the office without getting myself involved with some woman with thick, auburn hair and lightly tanned skin... and apparently it was already too late to just walk away since I couldn't keep myself from looking at her once I started.

From her wind burned face to her chapped hands, I was actually taking in her whole appearance without even intending to. She was even wearing the same yellow dress that she'd worn the first time I'd caught a glimpse of her... with her red bandanna tied securely to her head and blue rain boots on her feet. More or less, it was as if I'd stumbled across her on the very day that I'd first seen her. That thought alone bothered me more than anything else.

Had I honestly remembered all of this without realizing it, though, or was the truth that I'd been watching her more than I'd care to admit? Surely the folding chair I'd set up by Kuu's cage was proof enough... which also would explain the coffee mug I'd left resting there this morning before I left for work. When I thought about it that way...

Maybe Kuu wasn't the _only_ one who'd been obsessed with her as of late.

"You do know that it's too cold for that sort of thing, right? she teased with a knowing smile as she glanced down at my fishing pole. I immediately felt my face warm all the way up to my roots, but she only laughed. "Besides, I don't think you'd be catching anything without any bait, either." When I glanced away in shame, I was surprised to feel her rest her hand on my shoulder, and gazing down at her once again, I felt myself relax almost immediately. She just looked so calm with the breeze blowing through her hair and causing the hem of her dress to brush against her legs. "Not that it's not a wonderful day to try, I suppose."

"Well, that much is true..." I agreed wistfully with a faint chuckle of my own. "I just needed an excuse to get out of the house, I guess."

"Really?" she asked with a smile. "That's what I'm here for, too," she explained, "although I probably should be going home." Then she seemed to gaze off back towards shore as she continued, "My daughter's going to be getting out of school soon, and I have to pick her up." I nodded in understanding, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to hear it. After all, if she had a child at home... then it was more than likely she had a husband, too.

But why would I care about any of that?

"The name's Denny," I blurted out, gripping my pole even tighter. "I live around here, so if you're ever around... I wouldn't mind talking with you." The woman glanced over her shoulder and smiled, but I still felt my face warm once again to realize how forward I was being. After all, I never put myself into someone's life intentionally before... especially a person who I honestly knew nothing about.

"My name's Chelsea," she replied with a laugh. "And I hope I'll be seeing you again sometime, too, Denny."

And with that, I found myself standing at the end of the dock, useless pole in hand, as she left me behind for the day... and possibly much longer. The strangest thing about what had just happened, though, was I didn't regret what I'd just done. I didn't even care if I was interfering in someone else's business because for the first time in my life... I was genuinely curious about her. Maybe it was just the fact that I wanted to know why she spent so much time here, staring out over the water for hours without ever moving from this very spot. However what was perhaps even more important was the question of...

Was it really so wrong that I wanted to know?

--

**Author's Note:** As much as I love Denny, he's probably the character that wants to talk to me the least, other than maybe Vaughn. Still, this one came together fairly easily although I wasn't sure about the last scene. I'm just overly sensitive about this project now, I think. X3


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

After ten hours of dedicated, not to mention fulfilling work, I finally found myself preparing to leave for the day. However, before I left, I needed to be sure everything was in perfect order. My pens all needed to be filed away in my desk along with the few print outs I'd made earlier, and my computer was still finishing going through its defragmenting cycle until I could go through the proper shut down procedure for the night. I'd already taken care of all my other business, but there still seemed to be something that remained to be done which continued to nag at my thoughts. However, I just couldn't quite put my finger on it...

"Oh, Gray!" I called out to the man upon seeing him leave his office. He yawned, scratching the back of his head, but I knew him well enough to accept it as a greeting. "Did you just finish, too?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a weary shrug. "I just don't know why the hell it always takes me so damn long, though," he grumbled as he shook his head. I only smiled since I knew the problem usually was his inability to stay focused for very long, but I would never say anything on the matter. I also wouldn't be cruel enough to admit that the only reason I'd stayed for so long was because I was more worried about him than my work. After all, I'd finished about an hour or so before... However, when I caught his listless gaze, I felt my heart sink even deeper.

"Were you drinking again on the clock again?" I pressed, innocently rocking back on my heels. He glanced away as he muttered something under his breath, but I only continued to smile knowing at him. "So you were then?"

"Claire," he began sternly with a growl. "It's like I go to a god damn-"

"I know that," I replied with a knowing grin. "Because you keep a flash in your coat pocket, right?" I teased. His face immediately flushed as his hand instinctively went to the exact location that I had mentioned, but what made me giggle the most was how wide his eyes had gotten. "You know that night I spent over at your house?" I continued. Gray stared at me blankly for a moment until he finally gave me a slow nod. "Before you passed out on the couch, you told me about it," I explained with another giggle.

He groaned in defeat then, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. However, all I could think of was the sight of him when I'd woken up that day. Gray had been making himself some coffee, in a only pair of boxers no less, but he'd apparently forgotten I was even there since he leapt a clear foot in the air as soon as I'd said 'good morning.'

Then he insisted on taking me back to my place, so I wouldn't have to show up with him at work in the same clothes I'd worn the day before. He'd even gone so far as to tell Kai that I gave him a call to pick me up because I'd missed the bus. Of course... he didn't realize that I'd never missed the bus, and therefore, it was such an obvious lie even if it _hadn't_ been told to that particular man.

Still, I knew he was just being bashful at the time.

"Look," he began again. "It's not easy for me to admit this, but I-" However, Gray didn't even get a chance to finish since out of no where, someone appeared in the darkened hallway. Although I must admit that my heart gave a start at first, I was more than relieved to find that it was one of our fellows, and this one just happened to be the very one that I was actually hoping to see.

"Kai, what are _you_ doing here?" I asked breathlessly, trying my best not to sound _too_ excited. After all, Denny had told me about his relationship troubles with Eve, and while I didn't care for her from the beginning, I still felt enough for the man to recognize that he must've needed some time to recover from his most recent break up. I wasn't about to trouble him further by forcing my feelings onto him since they were most likely unwanted at this, or perhaps any, time. He'd obviously moved on...

"I forgot something is all," he assured me with a smile as he jingled a set of keys for us to see. "I got home and realized that I'd left them here," he went on to explain with a laugh.

"Dumb ass..." my companion muttered through gritted teeth. Although I gently nudged him to be polite, Kai only continued to smile in his usual carefree way. It was almost like he thought the man's comment to be a _good_ thing or, at the very least, he'd been expecting it.

"Gray," he chuckled, "who would've thought you'd still be here." My companion only glared at him, but I was certain that he only held back because I happened to be present. Otherwise... given my suspicions that the flask was emptied out by now, I was sure he would've had more than just than a jaded reply for our smooth talking salesman. Besides, I had a inkling that he didn't like Kai all that much to begin with anyway.

"Of course I'm here," Gray snarled. "Because that damn bitch of ours at the front office, we've been working our asses off to catch up with all the shit you put in at the last fucking minute." Well, if nothing else, that had to be a new record for the number of explicatives to come out of his mouth in a single sentence... He certainly had added to his vocabulary, though, since I couldn't remember the last time he'd ever said 'bitch' in my presence without muttering it under his breath. Of course, even then, I knew it wasn't a term directed at me by any means, for that just happened to be the title he gave to Ms. Hart.

It seemed the poor woman was rarely addressed properly by _any_ of the men in this office...

The other man simply laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Well, I can't help it if I have to work the last three hours of the day," Kai replied with a grin. "Trust me... I'd take the part time slot, _just_ for you, if they'd let me."

Although I knew it wouldn't go unnoticed by either of my associates, I couldn't keep myself from smiling. As I'd expected, though, Gray glowered at me with a disgruntled expression, but Kai just smiled back. "Are you planning on staying here long?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. Still, try as I might, it was hard to keep myself from being attracted to him, but I continued to remind myself that many girls had gone astray because of that natural charm of his.

"Do you need a ride home?" he offered. I took a quick glance towards Gray, but he didn't say a word. He simply folded his arms over his broad chest while he continued to study his adversary, and I held my breath just waiting for him to react. However, when he finally made a move, it was only to shake his head and sigh.

"So you're taking her home then?" my companion asked in a rather doubtful tone, deepening his already husky voice considerably. Even Kai had to blink in surprise as he said it since neither one of us would've expected such acceptance from him given the circumstances. "I just have some place else to be," he explained while he tried to hide his pained expression. Somehow I had a feeling that he'd only just come to that conclusion, and knowing him, that meant he was most likely going to the bar down on Irwin Street for the night. If only I could convince him to stop all together...

"Just let me handle it then," Kai agreed as he stepped over towards me and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Claire," he beckoned with a gentle tug. "Let's get you home, nice and safe." I only nodded, clutching my purse tightly while I went along with him. However, I felt a bit guilty for leaving the other behind. Of course I was more than willing to go with the man, but...

Glancing back through the glass doors, I was sure I saw Gray slam his fist into the wall as soon as we'd left.

--

"Have you been busy lately?" my escort for the night asked as he wove his way through the streets of my neighborhood. We'd been driving in silence entire way, lost in our own thoughts, so to hear him disrupt the quiet atmosphere so suddenly, I nearly jumped in my seat. However, when I realized he was smiling, I felt my cheeks warm slightly. "I've been thinking about you, you know..."

"Well," I began with a content sigh. "I started reading a lot more about what I can do to improve myself, so I suppose it's been going as well as can be expected." It was true, after all. I had been reading quite a bit, and for everything I read, I felt even more assured of myself and my purpose in this world. Even so, I knew that it must've seemed incredibly dull for someone who rarely sat down to read a book in his lifetime. How he managed to even make it so far in the business world... I have no idea since it was very rare to see him reading much of anything. "Of course, that's probably not all that interesting," I sighed once more, only this time in melancholy.

"As long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters," he assured me as we pulled into my driveway. To my surprise, though, he actually shifted his car into park and pulled the key from the ignition. Was he planning on staying? "How about I whip you up something for dinner before I go?" he offered with a smile.

"Oh, you don't have to," I replied almost frantically. "I-I mean, my place isn't cleaned up yet, and I wasn't exactly expecting company. Besides, I-" However, Kai didn't even let me finish since he'd cut me off with a sudden kiss. It only lasted for an instant, but I didn't even have a chance to close my wide eyes before it was all over. Still, he had a rather satisfied look in that unwavering gaze of his, and I was left wondering if anything had happened at all.

"Please?" he begging, slipping his warm hand over my cool, pale thigh. I nodded weakly, too stunned to even move, but the next thing I knew, he'd brought me to my door with me struggling to get my key into the lock. "You don't have to be so nervous, Claire," he chuckled while he took my hand and turned it.

"Why are you doing this?" I managed to squeak out as he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled into my neck.

"Because I missed you..." he replied, his hot breath tickling my skin. I know it was probably foolish of me, but somehow I honestly believed him. Although he rarely paid me any attention at the office, that suddenly didn't matter to me so much anymore. After all, he was here, wasn't he? Even if he didn't really leave his keys at work, it meant he was still interested in me, and that alone made me somewhat giddy inside.

Just as his hand cupped my breast, though, my more practical sensibilities returned, and I said the one thing that I thought I would never utter willingly. "But what about that dinner you promised me?" I teased with a giggle which stopped his advances almost immediately.

His expression was one of complete and utter shock, of course, and although I had to admit I was just as surprised by my interjection, I was also a bit proud of myself. I'd never said anything like it before... However, I soon reminded myself it was just another lie to distract him, and I came right back down again.

"If that's what you want," he agreed with a gentle kiss on my cheek, "then who am I to say no to such a lovely lady? Now... how about stir fry? I know it's one of your favorites," he continued to rattle on without even bothering to catch his breath. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was acting a bit strange, even by Kai's standards, but for the life of me, I couldn't say what it was about his behavior that left me so doubtful of his intentions. He just seemed... off somehow...

"Kai, you don't have to worry about me," I assured him as we stepped inside my humble home. "Just make whatever you want. I'm not all _that_ hungry." Without even thinking about it, I slipped off my shoes just inside the door, and my guest did the same. However, I couldn't help but realign them when he left them laying there on their sides. He was always a little sloppy, so I wasn't surprised to see him shuck his jacket on my couch instead of the coat rack as well. Trailing after him and picking up his things as they fell, including his purple tie, it felt just like the time before he left, and I smiled to realize it.

After all... I never thought he'd actually come back to me like this.

Without even having to ask, he made his way over to the kitchen while running a hand fondly over my pristine, granite countertops, and he soon found both the cutting board and the knife drawer without a lick of trouble. However, when he stuck his head into my refrigerator, he had to ask, "Does Isabelle have any ripe peppers we could use?"

"Let me check," I replied, skipping over towards the front, bay window to inspect my 'garden.' Although most people might've found it a bit odd, Kai had always humored me by calling my plants by name. It meant a lot to me, too, since I put quite a lot of thought into naming all of them without coming across as too clichéd, and it certainly made me feel a lot less eccentric. "Do you need anything from Simon?" I asked him, motioning towards my pot of parsley. "Or Garfunkel?" I added which was meant my thyme.

"No, all I really need is a bell pepper, and I think I'll be set..." he assured me. "Did you pick these up in the organic section?" he asked, showing me a bright red pair of tomatoes.

"The farmer's market actually," I corrected him. "They always open up after Easter, you know." It was so hard not to grin like some giddy schoolgirl when he gave me a quick peck on the lips for bringing him what he needed, but I still felt my heart swell all the same. How long had it been since he'd touched, let alone kissed, me in such a tender way? It seemed like ages...

If there's one thing I found absolutely fascinating about him, though, it was that the man could really cook.

Even with my uncertainty concerning food, I was always enthralled by the skills Kai had in the kitchen. It was like watching Iron Chefs the way he could dice the vegetables and throw them into the pan with an unmeasured amount of vegetable oil and soy sauce... He also knew more about vegetarian cuisine than any other of my ex-boyfriends, and he was actually willing to eat it with me as well. However, he rarely asked for me to have any of it myself which had, more often than not, left me feeling conflicted. After all, most people were almost obsessive about getting me to stuff myself when I'd already had a few mouthfuls. I knew they meant well, but I couldn't tell what it meant for him not to insist upon me finishing anything.

"Could you hand me a couple plates, Claire?" he asked suddenly, holding out his his hand to me. I quickly complied with a smile as I did so, and once again, he kissed me, but it was on the forehead this time. "I believe you've gotten even cuter," he teased before sliding the meal out of the pan and onto the dishes.

"I've just been watching my weight is all," I explained, not even thinking about the implications of the statement. Kai's eyes might've softened some, but he didn't say a word about the matter. Still... I suppose he never really did anyway.

"You're not going to your room this time," the man observed with a smooth, unwavering voice as I headed towards the table to join him. I blushed slightly, recalling all the meals I'd left him to enjoy by himself in the past while I hid myself away. Even so, when he gazed up at me from where he sat, I was relieved to find he was still smiling. "That must mean you've been getting better."

"Well..." I sighed, sitting next to him. "I've been trying my best, you know, but I just have to take it a day at a time..." Kai nodded in understanding before offering me a bite, and after a moment of convincing myself to do so, I managed to accept it. However... although it tasted wonderful, I still found it difficult to swallow it. "Besides, your stir fry is the best," I complimented him with a faint warmth dashing across my cheeks. He just laughed as I blushed, but I was only glad he couldn't sense my discomfort.

"Heh... I see you haven't changed anything else since I was last here, though," he observed wistfully, resting his chin on the back of his hand while he took another bite. I followed his gaze into my living room, and while I never really thought about it before, I realized he was absolutely right. I _hadn't_ changed anything during the past year, yet whether that was a good or a bad thing, I honestly couldn't say. However, he seemed quite pleased in any case.

My living room was straight across from us,of course, being as I really had no choice concerning its location, but everything else was in its usual place. From my oak dining table, we could clearly see the television over the back of my blue, corduroy couch, and to the right was my matching, swivel recliner. Next to the latter there was the white, antique end table I'd picked up with Gray from the small store next to Shirley's, but there was nothing more than a remote and a lamp resting on it. Other than the bookcase and my plants, though... there was very little to find in the place. Sometimes, looking at my own home, I had to wonder if I even _lived_ here... Still, I decided that it was just further proof of my compulsion to keep everything neat and orderly.

"I really missed coming to see you..." Kai confessed quietly, his usually warm, brown eyes glazed over with something I couldn't quite recognize. "Do you know how hard it is to see you at work and _not_ think about taking you home and enjoying a meal with you like this?"

"Then why haven't you?" I pressed while struggling not to let myself get frustrated with him. After all, he had plenty of opportunities... especially when I went to Shirley's the first time. Instead of being with _me,_ though, he'd gone and scampered off with that skinny, little-

"Because I didn't think you'd ever take me back," he replied with his head slightly bowed.

Seeing him look so downcast, I couldn't help resting my hand reassuringly on his shoulder, and true to Kai's usual fashion, that small gesture inevitably became something far, far more. For him, what would start as light, feather-like kisses and gentle caresses inevitably became passionate lip locking and heavy petting. All of this lasted until I was so lost in every move he made that I couldn't even think, and then I'd give him anything he asked of me. That's how I'd first lost myself to him. This time would surely be no different, either, if I knew him as well as I _thought_ I did.

It began innocently enough with a soft, lingering kiss, but once I dared to close my eyes, his hand instinctively trailed up my thigh and to my hip. However, I must say I was caught off guard when he suddenly stood and lifted me up with him as well. My legs immediately wrapped themselves around his waist which brought me even closer to the man, and my entire face flushed with embarrassment to realize that I'd found myself pressed against a very prominent part of him. Kai, on the other hand, only laughed at my apprehension.

"You really don't think I'd do that sort of thing in _here,_ did you?" he teased before whisking me off to my room down the short hallway. I, of course, clung to him out of fear that he might drop me, being that I was most likely too heavy for him to be carrying me in such a way, but I couldn't say I minded burying my face in his crisp, white shirt this time.

After all, the scent of roses was thankfully gone.

He didn't have any difficulty opening my door, yet I gave a little squeal when he tossed me onto my bed with a soft plop before I sank deep into my downy comforter. Although I never cared for his insistence concerning such things, I wasn't surprised that he turned on the light resting on my end table, enveloping my pink bedroom in a soothing, almost romantic glow. However, once again he had managed to stun me since I hadn't expected him to be shirtless so soon. Not that I minded seeing more of his bronzed skin, of course...

"Do I still scare you when I get like this?" he chuckled, hovering over me and leaving a trail of tender kisses up my neck. I didn't even bother replying as I let him begin unbuttoning my powder-blue blouse with quick, skillful fingers. He was right, though. It wasn't like I was actually frightened by the man, but his eagerness to get us both undressed was always something of a nuisance.

Really... I just didn't understand why we had to run a marathon for such things.

Without warning, though, he paused with a quizzical expression on his face, and while at first I thought he wasn't satisfied with my now exposed coral bra and the matching panties peeking out above the rise of my charcoal skirt, I soon glanced behind him and smiled.

"Cucumber!" I exclaimed with a laugh, realizing that my gray, tabby cat had poised himself on Kai's bare back. My furry companion merely continued to lick at his paw contently in reply, but Kai just rolled his eyes in amusement with a small smile.

"Guess I should've expected this," he said with a feigned groan of annoyance. "He can never let us have our fun, now can he?" As he righted himself, my beloved pet landed gracefully on my low rising dresser, and although he seemed to glare at us with his emerald eyes for a moment, he soon resumed cleaning himself and gazing at his own reflection in my vanity's mirror across the room. Such a sophisticated animal, blessed with both natural grace _and_ beauty...

How I envied him for those traits among so many others...

"Now..." Kai began again, running his warm finger tips up my cool torso and nearing my breast. "Where _were_ we?" he purred with a sultry, half-lidded gaze and a playful grin. However, he was once again interrupted although _this_ time it was the ringing of the telephone beside my bed, and he groaned in actual frustration. A cat he could just shrug off, but he knew I couldn't ignore an incoming call. Especially one that I should've expected being as I'd forgotten to make the call myself tonight.

As I swung my legs over the opposite side of my bed, I could feel Kai crawling after me across the mattress, yet I managed to ignore him for the most part. After all, I didn't exactly want the person on the other end to realize that my ride home had apparently wanted more than to just be a good Samaritan.

"Hello, Gray," I sighed into the speaker. "I'm really sorry I didn't call when I got home," I apologized quietly, running my fingers through my long hair in annoyance with only myself. I heard Kai scoff to realize that it was our coworker checking up on me, but I just shot him a sharp glare. After all, it wasn't his business if my daily companion wanted to be sure I was safe and sound. In fact, I found the man's gesture to be incredibly sweet since not many others would've been so kind. "I didn't keep you up worrying, did I?"

"Is okay," he replied sluggishly, clearly having gone drinking like I'd expected. "I juss wanted to know that you got home with no prolem." I smiled warmly to hear him say such things, but Kai was already starting to get handsy again which I tried to deter with a gentle smack once he tried to undo the front clasp of my bra. "Is somethin' the madder?"

"Oh no," I assured him quickly. "I'm just a bit tired, I guess..." Oh dear, did I just tell Gray a lie... or was it a fib? In any case, just what kind of woman was I becoming?

"Lissen, Claire," he continued, concern ringing clear through the receiver, "if that bassard did anything to you, I'll..." Kai went to take the phone away from me then, being as he could obviously hear our fellow coworker degrading him rather loudly on the other line, but I simply mouthed the words 'cut it out.'

"Don't worry about me, Gray," I promised him. "He's already gone, so you can rest easy now... Okay?" Although I hated lying to him, I knew it was probably for the best. Besides... if Kai didn't stop kissing up my free arm, I might've just seriously considered throwing him out of my house. I knew he could get jealous at times when he thought someone was stealing away all of my attention, but this was getting ridiculous even with _my_ level of patience. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" I asked, adding a hopeful tone to my voice.

"Yeah..." he agreed with another yawn. "Take care of yerself, Claire."

"Of course," I replied, smiling softly to myself. "You, too..." Once I heard a click, I gently set the phone back down in its cradle. However, I wasn't so merciful with the man who was now idly laying back on my bed, now dressed in nothing but his boxers, and petting my cat behind the ear while he managed to glance apologetically my way. "Kai, that was beyond _rude,"_ I scolded him in the most firm tone I could muster.

"Tell me," he said wistfully, choosing not to answer me. "Does Gray _always_ call you to make sure you're home, or is it only because I brought you here myself?" I tried to glare at him before I heaved a weary sigh. Would these two _never_ understand each other?

"He always calls unless he takes me home himself," I explained with a fondness in my voice that even _I_ hadn't noticed before. "He can be quite the gentleman, you know."

"Right," Kai scoffed. "Claire, a gentleman doesn't drink while at work, and he sure as hell doesn't pester-"

"Gray is _not_ pestering me," I insisted which caused Cucumber to spring away from the two of us and scoot out my bedroom door. "Just because he calls to check up on me and makes sure that I'm safe, it does _not_ make him anything more than simply considerate." Then I continued with even more frustration building up within me, "Besides, he's far more concerned with my well being than _you_ ever were..." He blinked in surprise, but I wasn't finished with him just yet since I, too, had a temper if provoked. "That being said. Did you honestly forget your keys, or was this just another way for you to worm your way into my bed?" I demanded crossly.

"Come on, Claire," he murmured. "Don't be like that..." Rolling onto his side and nestling himself against one of my many pillows, he gazed up at me with those warm brown eyes, and I felt my resolve falter slightly. "I really meant what I said... about missing you."

"Then what about Eve?" I snapped, my bangs falling into my eyes as stood up abruptly and shucked my blouse onto the floor. "What if you end up missing_ her?_ Are you just going to leave _me?"_ Angrily, I threw open a drawer and snatched up my nightgown before slipping out of my skirt as well. However, I didn't dress myself in my pajamas right away. After all, if there was one thing I knew, it was that Kai's defenses were down once a woman was standing before him in such a state. Even though I was normally above doing such things, this was the one time where I consciously decided to prey on his one, true weakness.

Even if that meant being ogled at like some slab of fat on a hook.

However, my plan had backfired since he had somehow managed to slip behind me, and his arms were once again wrapped snugly around my waist. Why was it that men always had to hold me in the one place that I hated most of all? The least they could've done was hug my shoulders... at least they were a bit more _narrow._ "Claire?" he asked quietly.

"What?" I snipped back at him, still frowning deeply. Him and that little voice of his... trying to sound so damn innocent when he couldn't be less so. He really _was_ a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I should've known bet-

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, burying his face into my neck. "Even when you're so angry at me, all I can think is how beautiful you are," he continued which caused my breath to hitch in my throat. He thought I was... _beautiful?_ How could that be when I was anything but? Surely he had to be lying... like always... since there wasn't any way that he could've mistaken me for something I clearly wasn't. "I mean it, Claire," he insisted with a soft kiss. "You're the only one who doesn't realize it."

Kai tried to pull away from me then, but I rested my hands on his arms to try and convince him to stay. "Am I... really?" I managed to squeak out, bowing my head in shame. "Am I really beautiful, Kai, or are you just saying that?" After all, he could've been right that I was the only person who didn't think I was anything special to look at, but then again, he could've been trying to deceive me back into bed where he could have his way with foolish, gullible me. He wouldn't be the first one to do so, and if things couldn't work between us this time, I knew that he wouldn't be the last, either. Men were all the same, I suppose...

"Absolutely," he assured me as he held me even closer. When I choked back a sob, he simply stood there with his head resting on my own, and by the set of his jaw, I could tell he was smiling. However, all I could hope was that it wasn't proof that it was just another lie of his.

Because it's hard enough to believe in a man like him.._._ without feeling as if he's preying on my own one, true weakness.

--

**Author's Note:** That's about as close as I can get to a lemon, I think. However, I'm still considering this to be a nod to Prologue's _Cops and Robbers _and _Handcuff Me_ since they were the first (and arguably the best) lemons I've ever read. Not to mention they're the only ones that have Kai being the _smex._ X3

They're a part of AU series, but I recommend them to anyone looking for something with the thrill of forbidden, naughty love. ;D


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the song _La La Lu_ (also known by D*sney fans as _Star Sweeper_ from _Lady and the Tramp)_ which was performed by Peggy Lee.

**Chapter Fifteen**

"God... dammit," I yawned, bleary eyed and somewhat dazed. I'd already had my morning coffee at home, but I was dog tired all the same. Of course, it might've had something to do with the fact that I'd spent half the night in a drunken stupor, waiting for Claire's call... but of course I wasn't willing to admit to that just yet. Too early in the damn day for me to be scolding myself already if you ask me.

You know, while I was sitting in my chair that night, I'd started thinking that I wasn't really meant to be a city boy. Even though I was born here, I'd been raised by my grandfather in the country for the most part, and now that I was finally back, I found myself wishing I'd never left that quiet life. What I wouldn't have given to just go back and start again with a pair of fresh eyes and a new appreciation for empty dirt roads and endless farmland.

Even so, there wasn't much I do about it.

Besides, what my mind was dwelling on now was the fact that I'd already seen Claire's bus go by without bothering to stop at the bench out front as it usually did. That was also the reason I was still in the break room anxiously puffing on another cigarette. I often came in here when things got too stressful, so there really wasn't any surprise there. As far as I was concerned, though, this must've been the most on edge I'd been for a while.

It wasn't the best place in the world to be to try and clear your mind, of course. The shitty fluorescent lights were always fading in and out, and the walls were almost too close for comfort. There was only the short counter that I was resting on, the coffee maker sitting next to me, and a mini fridge. Well, I suppose there was also a water cooler, but the damn thing hadn't been refilled in months which left it more or less as a worthless decoration by the door. Of course, everything was stained an ugly shade of yellow from all the cigarette smoke that hung heavily in the air throughout the day which made it even _less_ appealing to be in there.

About the only thing the room had going for it at the moment was the window that overlooked the parking lot, and even that was a meager blessing since the blinds had broken for the past couple weeks, leaving them at a distinct angle over three-fourths of the glass. From here, I could see Kai was only just pulling in with nothing more than a minute to spare as usual.

Still, I almost choked on my own damn smoke when I saw who stepped out of the passenger's side.

_"C-Claire?"_ I gasped before falling into something of a coughing fit. Even while I was taking a relieving swig of my coffee, I kept an eye on the pair. I say 'pair,' of course, because the bastard had his hand on her narrow waist on their way in. What was worse, though, was the fact that she _kissed_ the fucker just before they slipped out of sight. "That son of a bitch..."

"Not my kid," my boss scoffed as she waltz into the room. "I'll still have to talk with them in any case, though..." she added, lighting one of her signature cigarettes while seemingly lost in thought. "We don't need them slobbering all over each other on the clock."

"Please don't tell me that it's against company policy," I muttered, keeping my back to her. After all, if that was the case, I might've been glad to see Kai go, but there was still Claire to worry about. Although I still hated to admit it, I knew I wouldn't be worth shit around here without her. They'd probably send my ass right back to factory work... not that I wasn't more suited to it anyway.

"Don't worry about your little girlfriend," she assured me with a firm slap on the back. "We have nothing against our workers forming relationships with one another." Then she chuckled and said, "If that were the case, then..." However, she didn't have a chance to finish since the bastard himself came whistling for no apparent reason. He wasn't one for coffee in the morning, and he sure as hell wasn't a smoker, either, which must've meant he just wanted to rub the fact that he was back with Claire in my face. 'Going to take her home,' my ass... All he was after was a piece of _hers._

"Kai," I growled bitterly, "what the hell are you doing bringing her here in _your_ car?" He blinked at me as if he had no idea what I was talking about, but I only jabbed my thumb behind me towards the window. I let him take her home one fucking time... only to have him somehow work his way up her skirt, and now I had to blame myself for ever letting him because I _knew_ there was no way in hell he could ever be a gentleman about it.

"Oh..." he replied, rubbing the back of his neck and wearing a cheeky smile. "Damn... guess the cat's already out of the bag now, huh?" he chuckled. Sick bastard didn't feel a damn bit guilty, either, by the sounds of it.

"Just answer the god damn-"

"Boys, let's get to work," our boss interrupted, her eyes narrowing at the two of us. "Makani," she barked, glancing at the man in front of me, "just keep your hands off the little lady during working hours. Also, for that poor girl's sake, I _will _be expecting you to at least tell her about that little 'program' of yours that's coming up in a couple of weeks." He nodded solemnly, looking unusually pale as he did so, and although it wasn't soon enough in my opinion, he disappeared right back out the door. "As for _you,_ Smith," she continued on her way after him, "just keep your temper under control in this office. I don't want to be sending anyone to the ER any time soon with the inspection coming up tomorrow."

"Yes... ma'am," I agreed grudgingly. He'd be lucky if I didn't give him a god damn bloody nose... or maybe even a broken one. Still, I knew better than to tell her that. Once again, though, I found myself alone, and all I had left to do now was snuff my cigarette in the ashtray. It was just gonna be another one of those days.

However, just when I was about to leave, I ran literally ran right into Claire. Her forehead actually bounced against by chest as she bumped into me, but although I actually smiled at first, the expression had vanished by the time she looked up at me. She immediately blushed, no doubt reading the more than apparent aggravation on my face, but she said nothing as she bit her lip and tried to evade me and duck into the room. It was somewhat amusing how easily I could've blocked her... However, I thought better of it since I knew I'd probably take out my frustration on the poor girl. That didn't stop me from giving her a little piece of my mind, though.

"So you were alone last night, huh?" I muttered under my breath as she slipped past me. "Don't make me fucking laugh..."

--

You know... there was once a time when I thought that getting my ass out of work at five was a miracle. Now that I'd gone and done it, though, I realized that I _still_ felt like shit by the end of the day. Of course, that probably had more to do with the fact that my stomach wouldn't shut the hell up since I'd skipped lunch entirely, and I also had a splitting headache after studying those damn digits without a single break. I hadn't had a smoke or a drink, either, which was almost unheard of for the likes of me, so I suppose it was only natural that I'd still be pissed by the end of the day.

At the very least, though, I'd managed not to to catch so much as a glimpse of Claire or that rotten bastard. Even though I was more or less trying to avoid seeing them _together_ at all costs, I also knew the sight of either one of them alone could send me over the edge. Maybe it was none of my business, but until I cooled my head, I knew I'd better just keep to myself. Forget Kai...

I just didn't want to lose my temper with _her._

"Heading back to the office after this?" Muffy asked as she set my dinner down on the table for me. I knew it was just another part of our usual exchange of words, but coming from someone like her, I still felt as if she was actually interested in the likes of me. That thought was only spurred on further when she sat across from me in the booth, but I knew to keep my head out of my ass. However, that smile of hers wasn't making it any easier on me.

"I actually got out on time for once... if you can believe it," I replied as I took a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy. "How about you?" God, it was so damn easy to talk to this woman, even on shitty days like this. I never used to think so, but around this time of day, I found she was much more approachable than I would've expected.

Maybe it was the way her hair lost its tight curls, becoming more like loose waves that I felt better suited her soft features, or perhaps the fact that the heavy layer of make-up she put on every morning had finally began to wear off. Sure, most men might find the sight of her smeared lipstick and the more apparent crow's feet and creases around her mouth to be less than glamorous, but I just thought it made her even more attractive since it was proved that she was, in fact, a woman and not some doll to play around with.

Not that I had it in me to tell her myself, of course.

"Well..." she began with a weary sigh. "My car's supposed to be out of the shop by now, but I gotta wait until Griffin gets here," she explained as I started working on the slab of diner meatloaf. "After all, I need him to follow me home in case she breaks down on me again." I moved on to the small pile of corn then while she began to tell me what had allegedly gone wrong with it and how much it was going to cost. Finally, when I managed to swallow the last bite, I offered to take her there myself and trail her back to wherever it was that she needed to be going. "Oh, honey, you don't have to," she assured me as she took my empty plate. "I can just wait."

"There's no point in you staying here all night, though," I insisted, following her to the kitchen. "If you took it over to Marlin, then I can get you there myself," I continued, reaching for the wallet in my back pocket. However, when I brought it out to pay my bill, Muffy only rested a delicate hand on my own.

"Only if you let me pay for your dinner, sweetie," she cooed with a wink. Although I hesitated for a moment, I eventually gave her a slow nod, and I put my money right back into the leather fold. "Alright then, let me just get my things..." She disappeared back into the back kitchen for a brief moment until she returned once more with her light blue jacket and her purse. "Now, let's get out of here before they come looking for me!" she teased with a laugh before linking her arm with mine which made me turn all shades of red, I'm sure.

"I take it you wanted out of there?" I muttered with a faint chuckle. Muffy just glanced up at me with wide, unblinking eyes, but then she just began to laugh again, only louder. "What?" I asked, trying to shrug it off as if I hadn't said anything to begin with.

"And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor, Gray," she giggled.

Even though I knew she was hoping for me to keep up the act, I wasn't exactly in the mind set for it. I was only trying to be the nice guy because I hated to see a woman left waiting for her man. It wasn't like I was blaming Griffin for leaving her stranded at work, of course, being as there wasn't much he could do about it, but I couldn't just drive off knowing she was stuck there until God only knows when...

"What kind of car do you drive then?" I asked before accidently running over the curb on my way onto the street. She didn't seem to notice, though, since she was do busy putting down her visor and rummaging through her purse at the moment.

"Oh... just a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria," she rattled off without even batting an eyelash. Of course, she was trying to curl them with one of those metal, torture devices at the time she said it, so I guess that could explain her apparent indifference. However, with a model like that, I knew it must've cost the couple quite a pretty penny... Either that Griffin must've been making some damn good money with his new business if he could afford something of that caliber. "My husband bought it for me when we first started dating," she explained casually, applying a thick layer of red lipstick.

Guy must've sold his damn soul for it then...

"You're going to miss it if you don't slow down," Muffy warned with a click of her compact and flipping back the visor once again. I did as she asked, and soon enough a sign for Marlin's Auto came into the view of my headlights. It wasn't really a repair 'shop' per se since he only worked out of his own two car garage, but he did honest work which was all that mattered to me. If he couldn't fix the problem or it didn't stay fixed, he refused to charge you anything. In a city like this... that was practically unheard of if not a fucking miracle.

When we pulled up, he was already standing beside the light blue and white vehicle that was parked in his driveway, and once he finished wiping his hands off on a rag, he gave me a slight wave which I returned. However, I let Muffy be the one to get out and talk with him since I didn't have any business with the man. So instead, I opted to just roll down the window and have a smoke as I watched the two.

After all, I could fix almost anything that went wrong with my baby on my own.

Marlin certainly hadn't changed any since I'd seen him last... His curly, jet-black hair was still glued together, it seemed, and he apparently continued to wear the same white shirt and jeans like he did every time I happened to see him. However, there did seem to be something that was different about him. His motions were less rigid, and I thought I may have seen him actually _smile_ once or twice. Whatever it was, it really must've-

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his wife standing in the window, and even from where my truck was parked out on the street, I could tell she was cradling an infant in her arms. Her long, dark hair was falling down her back while she rocked the child, and she was no doubt singing a sweet lullaby by the tranquil expression on her young face.

For some reason, that thought alone vaguely reminded me of my own mother though she'd been a blonde with much sharper features. I still could remember her gentle voice and the very melody that used to put me to sleep at night. My mother had always been so frail.. even before her illness began to drain the rest of her life away, and this woman, too, was rather delicate looking. Something told me she was much better off, though, since unlike my mother... she obviously had a devoted husband.

Back when I was a kid, I never understood much of what was happening within our family, especially concerning my asshole of a father. Every morning, he'd be a little groggy, but at least he was somewhat patient, more understanding, and very kind as well. He'd ruffle my hair or give Mother a kiss before sitting down to drink his morning coffee and read the paper. Once two rolled around, though, he'd start hitting the alcohol. It was always a beer, too, and I could distinctly remember sneaking a sip as a child. That disgusting, little episode pretty much killed any taste I might've had for the shit in the future which was probably why I stuck to harder liquor instead.

Throughout my entire childhood, my old man had a beer in his hand. He'd plow through them, too, with one right after another until he had nothing left in the fridge, and that's usually when he started to get ornery and, most of the time, downright _pissed._

My mother was always the one to take the verbal abuse which even without leaving a visible mark, most likely tore at her already weakened heart. It only got worse after he began going after me around the age of four, though, and I can easily guess the reason was she felt like a failure for being unable to protect me from her own husband. He may have called her everything from a worthless bitch to a dumb ass broad, but he was far more brutal towards me although it very rarely escalated to physical violence...

In sight of her anyway.

Nursing bruises was really no big deal for a young boy, and although it hurt like hell, my shoulders and wrists could easily be relocated. What was somewhat traumatizing in its irony was the fact that my father was usually the one to fix me the next morning when he sobered up. He would always apologize, of course, but we both knew the damage was already done. He couldn't take any of it back.

As if to remind me of its everlasting presence, the bottle in my coat pocket rolled next to me and bumped into my leg, laying in wait for me to make a move. Even though I knew that I should've tossed the damn thing out my window and onto the street, I merely pulled it out, spun the cap, and downed the entire thing of every last drop of whiskey I'd poured into it that morning. The warmth hit me immediately at the back of my neck and worked its way up and down my spine, and I could even feel the alcohol coursing throughout my body just to try and satisfy the need I still had for the shit. Once it settled, I knew that the relief would finally come... which was why I drank in the first place.

What else could I do to escape all the stress in my life?

There hadn't been a lick of trouble during the entire drive there, but I still felt my face warm from more than just the liquor when Muffy wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a light peck on the cheek as a thank you. Although I knew she appreciated what I'd done for her, I didn't really think any of _that_ was necessary.

"Come on in, and I'll fix you a drink," she chirped, taking me by the hand. However, we didn't go in through the front, like I'd expected, where a long line of cars were parked, for she opted to take the back door instead which had a staircase off to the side. I didn't even have a chance to look around the entryway, though, before she dragged me upstairs as well. The whole while, my face was probably a shade of a very deep red, but I didn't say a word. After all, I figured she knew I didn't do well with a large crowd, and it might've been her way to repay me for my troubles.

Right when the door opened, I was immediately overwhelmed by the heavy scent of sweet peas. I always used to confuse the smell with gummy bears until Claire set me straight, being as she was the one to wear it every now and then, and with that thought, I instinctively frowned. Why did I have to think of her _now_ of all times, especially during the one moment of peace I'd had all day?

"Just make yourself at home, sugar, and I'll be right back," the woman told me on her way back down the stairs. "I've got to tell Griffin I'm home~" I nodded absentmindedly although I knew she obviously couldn't see, and I took off my hat as well. After all, I was indoors, and since my mother had taught me well during her brief lifetime, I knew better than to wear it in someone else's home.

It only took a glance to tell that Muffy had been the one to decorate the newlyweds' home since it was almost a perfect duplicate of Shirley's, only on a more domestic scale. From the black-n-white tiles to the baby blue walls and the bubblegum pink countertops, everything was more or less the same in the kitchen. I simply draped my coat over one of her vinyl, dining room chairs and headed into what I assumed to be the living room.

Although I was expecting more of the same cotton candy explosion, I was surprised to find myself in another equally, cheerful room with a different color scheme. While the walls and carpeting were white, almost every piece of furniture was either a bright, sunny yellow or a light wood. I was more or less _blinded_ by the sheer intensity of the room, but once I sat down on the lemon and white striped couch, I felt myself finally begin to relax. It was actually kind of hard _not_ to since the space was so damn homey... not that I was complaining by any means. After all, it wasn't every day that I got to see into someone's else's life and actually feel welcomed.

Folding my arms over my chest, I actually felt myself sink deeper into the cushions, and with no one else around to hear it, I let myself sigh in relative contentment. _This_ is where I wanted to be... far away from work and even my own home... Just a quiet place where I could relax...

_'La la lu... La la lu... Oh, my little star sweeper... I'll sweep the stardust... for you~'_ That was it... the song my mother used to sing. Even when I was too old for it, she'd still let me into her lap and rock me gently until I closed my eyes and drifted off. Her voice was so soft, and I couldn't seem to keep myself awake long enough to hear the whole thing. I often wondered why it didn't lull her into sleep as well just before I'd close my eyes and be whisked off to dream land. Maybe she did, though, and I just never realized it.

Now it was too late for me to ever know how it ended.

Seemingly not long after I'd rested my eyes, I felt myself being softly shaken, and upon opening them again, I found Muffy standing over me, clutching her robe in the hopes I wouldn't see her sheer nightie underneath. However, even when I felt my entire face begin to warm with that realization, I was more shocked to see her without any make-up whatsoever and her hair up in curlers. She didn't look _bad_ per se... just not like herself, I suppose. Even so, it was a little horrific to see her in such a state so suddenly.

"Hate to wake you, hun," she cooed, "but Griffin's gonna be finishing closing up soon." I nodded wearily in understanding, blinking up at the pale blue face of the clock to find it was past eleven already, and I muttered a few choice curses under my breath. Had I really fallen asleep here? "What's wrong, Gray?" she asked as she sat down beside me and rested a hand on my back. "You've been looking rather down these days... and I haven't seen much of you at the restaurant, either." I only glanced over at her while my frown deepened. "Is it about that little blonde you boys happened to bring with you a while back?" she pressed, taking my hand gently in hers.

"That isn't any of your damn business," I snapped, jerking away from her and trying to stand. However, she pulled me right back down onto the sofa again, and I stared at her in disbelief. How could such a little woman be so strong?

"You listen here, sugar," Muffy began in a firm tone which surprisingly wasn't lessened by her using a pet name. "As a waitress, I can tell a _lot_ about a person just by lookin' at 'em... and that goes triple when they're a regular like yourself." I just continued to stare at her since I was still completely stunned by the sheer forcefulness of not only her voice, but the grip she had on my shoulder as well. "Now... I _know_ you're worried about that girl," she insisted, squeezing my shoulder even tighter. "And I think-"

"Who gives a shit about anything that _anyone_ has to say about it?" I growled, shrugging her off. "It's not like any of it matters now that she's goin' with that bastard."

Suddenly, the tables had been turned and now she was the one gawking at _me._ "You mean she's dating _Kai?"_ she gasped, her bright green eyes widening all the more. "That poor girl is gonna have her heart broken for _sure,"_ she lamented as she stood and headed into the kitchen. When she came back, she had a martini for herself and scotch for me. "Tell me... when did this come about?"

"Last night, I think," I replied, swirling the ice in my glass before taking it in one swig. "Claire and I were working late again," I explained with a heavy sigh. "Then he showed up out of butt fuck nowhere to pick up his god damn keys." While my face was beginning to warm again, I added shamefully, "He offered to take her home, and-"

"Wait, you let him take her _home?"_ she demanded, setting her glass down on the floor without even bothering to be sure I couldn't see her breasts. I inwardly shivered since I hadn't wanted to see them, either. "You _know_ he's just using her," she scolded me. "He just broke up with that hussy, and now he's picking a sweetheart like her up?" At that point, Muffy could only shake her head in dismay and sigh. "I knew I should've let you put that salad on _your_ tab... Then maybe she'd be with someone that was worth her time. The poor dear..."

"How did you know that I wanted to pay for it?" I asked doubtfully, not bothering to pay any attention to any waitress superstitions.

"Gray, it was written all over your face," she replied curtly. "You're in love with the little miss," she continued which resulted in me glaring at her in defiance. "Don't give me that look," the woman warned with a huff as she plucked the olive from her glass. "You know it as well as I do... even if you're not willing to admit to it."

"No way in fucking hell," I scoffed with a snarl. After all, Claire was nothing more than a coworker, and that's how it should be. Granted, she _did_ give more of a rat's ass about me than anyone else ever did which I tried to repay by at least worrying about her every now and again, but it was nothing more than a working relationship. And, yeah, she'd covered for me on more than one occasion while I did the same for her. Still... that's just what two employees who were always stuck in one another's faces did. None of it _meant_ anything...

At least not in _my_ mind.

"Quit being so damned stubborn," Muffy sighed before popping the offensive green... vegetable into her mouth. "Just tell her how you feel, and everything else will fall into place," she tried to assure me with a knowing air in her usually sweet voice. "If you don't, then consider yourself screwed because there might not be a second chance... Unless you _want_ to lose her," she added with a smirk.

"Can't lose what you don't have," I growled, standing up at last. "There's nothing between Claire and me, so there's nothing I can do about it."

"Wouldn't the better word be that there's nothing you _'should'_ do about it then?" she teased with a gentler smile. My face just flushed scarlet, but I said nothing as I headed for the stairs. Picking up my hat and coat from her dining room table, I heard her call out after me. "Just have Takakura let you out. He's the one with the keys to the building." I muttered my thanks before taking a few steps down, but just as I was making my way out of earshot, I heard her laugh.

"You can't run away from yourself, Gray! Just remember that!"


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer: **WARNING! This chapter contains some material that may be questionable for some. Oh, and I don't own the song _Crazy Bitch_ which was written and performed by Buckcherry.

**Chapter Sixteen**

"So you came to see me again," the woman chuckled, patting the empty space next to her. "You must have a lot of time on your hands," she mused with a gentle smile.

"Well, that's more or less the truth," I agreed. Sadly, I wasn't exactly lying since I'd most likely be just sitting at my window or napping around this time. After all, that's what I'd been doing up until last week when I finally had the gaul to come down here and meet her. From then on, though... I found myself sitting at the edge of the dock for some small talk after work. "Do you have to pick your daughter again today?" I asked as I hunkered down onto the end of the dock.

"Of course..." Chelsea sighed heavily before resting her hands in her lap. I nodded in understanding although I couldn't quite figure out why that seemed to depress her. Sure, I didn't really have a mother to compare her to being that I'd been 'raised' by numerous women, but I still assumed that she should've been more than happy to pick up the little girl from school. Was it all that difficult to go over to the nearby preschool to take home a little four or five year old?

"I've been meaning to ask you," I continued while leaning back on my hands and swinging my legs out from underneath me. "What does she look like?" Glancing in the woman's direction, I found she was still smiling in that peculiar, lazy way of hers, and once again, I had to ask myself whether I'd offended her or not. It was becoming harder and harder to tell with this one...

"Do you want to see a picture?" she offered, already reaching into her messenger bag. I simply nodded and crossed my legs like an eager child waiting for his mother to give him his afternoon snack, and soon enough, she handed me a small photograph. It was one of those wallet-sized ones which had probably been taken on picture day or some other nonsense given the gray background.

The little girl was typical by most standards. Her face was still plump from her remaining baby fat, and she was missing two of her front teeth as well. However, there was something strangely familiar about her piercing eyes despite their dark blue color although I couldn't quite place what it was I recognized about them. I just decided to dwell on it another time and continued on. Her reddish-brown hair was pinned back from her face with a couple barrettes with little wings attached to them, but I didn't really see the point in her wearing them since her hair was already cut into a cute little bob. She looked like she was wearing a child's version of her mother's favorite sundress as well, only hers was blue instead of yellow.

"Her name's Alisa," Chelsea explained. "It's hard to believe she's so grown up already," she mused with a heavy sigh.

"Who do you think she takes after more?" I pressed as I returned the photo to her. She seemed to balk slightly when I said it, but her stormy eyes were soothed quickly enough. It was like a lightening flash, here one instant and gone the next.

"Mostly her father," she replied simply with a shrug. However, it was right about then that I realized I'd stepped onto a land mine of sorts. Whenever a woman uses the term 'her father' in such a way, I can pretty much guarantee that the parents are either separated or divorced, and that meant I'd royally screwed up on with a seemingly innocent question. "She's such a quiet child... I don't think she even cried all that much as a baby, either."

"I take it he's not very talkative?" I thought aloud. Even if I already felt like an ass, it seemed I just couldn't keep myself from digging a deeper hole. Still, I could only handle so much small talk until I had to discuss something with a little more substance. I could always bring up my own past as a last resort... but of course I was a tad apprehensive concerning that. I'd gone this far, though, so I suppose it was only fair...

"Not exactly," she chuckled to herself. "He was too wrapped up in his job to be bothered with her... or even myself for that matter." Chelsea gazed off into the distance then, far beyond the cluttered harbor and the docks. Although I tried to follow her gaze, I knew it went far beyond the horizon to somewhere I would never see.

Right then, I couldn't even wrap my mind around the thought of how beautiful that far off look in her eyes truly was.

_Get a hold of yourself, you idiot,_ I scolded myself._ What ever happened to keeping to your own damn business?_ To be honest, I couldn't really answer that question since I'd never stuck my neck out like this before. Usually I kept to the safety of my own, familiar thoughts, but in a course of a week- and possibly longer if you counted the months I'd spent watching her- I found myself more and more drawn to her with each conversation we shared.

It started out simply enough with us chatting about our daily lives. Mostly I just told her about my job while she'd explained that she was once a school teacher, and the apparently she'd become a stay at home mother. However, she admitted that she'd never wanted to quit, but at the time, she felt she had no other options.

Even though she never told me so herself, I had a gut feeling that she came here to avoid her life at home. Surely she must have hated being there all the more after her husband, or that's what I assumed he had been anyway, had left her, and I couldn't say I blamed her any. To be haunted by the memories of what could've, and probably _should've,_ been for every day of her life. I was just surprised she hadn't thrown herself into the water down below. Not that I would've _wanted_ her to, of course, but given the dulled luster of her her eyes, it was clear she was a troubled woman at best.

"Shouldn't you be going home soon?" Chelsea asked suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. When I went to look over towards her, I realized she was already standing, and as my face warmed considerably, I stood to join her. "Your little lady must be waiting for you," she teased with a soft laugh that seemed to be more of a breath or a sigh.

"Actually... I live alone," I corrected her with a shrug. Although I knew the little guy would be crushed, I didn't feel like telling her I more or less thought of Kuu as another person, but she didn't seem to suspect anything.

"You do," she replied, making more of a statement than a question. "Well, then I guess I shouldn't feel so down on myself then, should I?" she remarked almost wistfully. "After all... I have Alisa to welcome me home." She tucked her bangs back behind her ear, seemingly lost in thought once again, before starting off back down the docks. I hesitated for a moment, but at last, I found myself trailing after her and hoping to whatever god existed that I wouldn't have to kick myself for what I was about to do.

"Chelsea... wait," panted, more out of breath from jarred nerves than the short jog. "If you ever need to talk about what's going on at home, you don't need to hold back. I..." I paused for a moment as I peeled back my bandanna and tried to rake my fingers through my unruly curls. All the while, I also found face was becoming warmer with every passing minute. If I didn't say it now, though...

"I live at the Hard Place over on Fulton... top floor, last door on the left," I continued. "Just tell Ann at the front desk that I told you to go on up whenever you need to." Dammit, I was making such a fool of myself.

However, she showed no sign of her possibly taking offense, and in fact, she not only smiled but laughed as well. Of course I mistook her reaction as proof that I was being an idiot, but soon enough I felt her take my hands into her own and gave them a gentle squeeze which caused my mouth to go completely dry. However, when she gave me a light kiss on the cheek, I was sure my heart stopped for an instant as well.

"You're too kind," she chuckled as she drew away from me, "but I think we should wait a while, don't you?"

"Oh, I wasn't trying to..." I began again, feeling my entire face flush an even deeper shade of red. "I was just thinking that if you ever needed a change of scenery, it might do you some good," I explained. "Just a thought really..." Good lord, though, it _had_ sounded like I was inviting the woman over for more than just a simple cup of coffee...

"I see..." she replied quietly with another one of her sad, lingering smiles. "Then I suppose I just might pay you a visit sometime."

--

"Do you think I was being too forward?" I asked my companion, nesting in my seat for a little nap. Although I'd already slept for a good two hours, I still felt the need to drift for a second time. However, when my friend happened to hit the biggest pot hole in the god damn street, my head ended up meeting the roof of his car, and needless to say, I wasn't so drowsy afterwards. Other than simply waking my ass up, it also gave me something of a headache to _keep_ me awake as well.

"For you, _anything_ is too forward," Kai argued with a laugh. "You really need to lighten up if you're hoping to get anywhere with this woman," he insisted which I doubted very highly. After all, Chelsea wasn't exactly the type of woman he could ever hope of understanding.

"She has a _kid,"_ I reminded him, crossing my arms over my chest. I'd already explained this to him once before, but like most things, it seemed to go in one ear and out the other with this guy.

"And that bothers you?" he countered with a raised brow.

"Of _course_ it does," I snapped. "Because if she has a kid, I don't know whether I should get involved with her or not..." It wasn't like her having a child was a problem for me as much as it might've been for _her._ I wasn't too confident in the notion that she would want a man interfering in her life with another's child to raise, and I wasn't about to force myself on her in any way. I was still ashamed with myself for even inviting her over in the first place. "You know I didn't exactly have the best childhood," I deadpanned.

It's not really a remarkable story if you ask me since it was about as clichéd as you could get. Both of my parents found themselves in a fatal car accident while I was at the baby sitter's, under the 'care' of some teeny bopper by the name of Katie who just gabbed on her cell phone with her boyfriend Joe the whole time. After that, I was tossed into the foster care system at nine years old because I was supposedly too old for adoption to ever be a possibility. Wasn't a _bad_ life really...

Except for the fact that most of these 'approved' families turned out to either be neglectful, abusive, or just plain sadistic. Most of them had a house full of foster kids just to help pay the bills with government money, and others wanted to convert me and the other children to the way of the Lord through questionable denominations and means. I'd pretty much seen every destructive vice known to man from alcohol to meth as well, and although I wasn't proud of it, I'd experimented a little myself in my mid-teens with prescription meds thrown into toxic cocktails of candy-like splendor. Wonderful stuff at first, but...

That only lasted until a trip to the ER, and from then on, I figured it just wasn't worth the trouble.

To this day, I'm sure that I still would've ended up a complete dead beat if it hadn't been for my last family with whom I lived with for the last two years of my adolescence. That's also when I first found I had a cousin, and I clung to that fact. Even if Dan had turned out arguably for the worse, he was proof that I still had blood ties to someone in the world, and I guess that's why I was willing to turn a blind eye to much of what he did.

"Which is precisely why you should take up this sort of challenge," Kai chuckled as he turned down another street. Where the hell were we even going? All he said when I'd finally picked up the phone after his _fifth_ call was that he wanted me to come with him to pick up a friend of his. I didn't really know why _I_ had to tag along for the ride, though, since none of this had anything to do with me.

"Quit talking about her like she's one of _your_ conquests," I warned through gritted teeth. Why the hell did I let a creep like him become friends with me anyway?

However, with that thought, I suddenly realized that I'd been in this part of town before. Although that was to be expected, being as we were only a couple blocks from Kai's neighborhood, I could still feel the hair on the back of my neck bristle and my shoulders slump forward even more. This is where I first met him, and that meant...

"Kai, are you out of your fucking _mind?"_ I growled. "You and Claire just got back together, and you're taking us to a _strip joint?"_ I mean, the frickin' _gaul_ of this guy... If he wasn't driving, I would've picked his ass up by the collar and shoved him into a damn wall. Just as I'd feared, we passed just about every club from the Pink Pony to the Sugar and Cream, and I sunk deeper into my seat with each one, _praying_ that he wasn't actually serious about going through with this. He'd only been with that girl for barely a week, and he was already going to screw it up... "You said you had to pick up a friend from _work!"_

"Now, don't be getting all angry, Denny," he chided me with a wink and a wag of his finger. "I meant what I said. I know this one from my days as a bartender in this part of town is all."

"But even if you know someone around here, most of these places close up at four in the morning on a Friday night," I protested, becoming more irritated by his casual attitude. "Besides, what would Claire say if she knew you were doing this? Don't you think you're taking advantage of her?" After all, I could reason that she probably wouldn't share her frustrations with him openly at first, but the more she fussed and fretted... she was sure to voice them at _some_ point.

My companion didn't reply right away since he was too pre-occupied with backing into the last available parking space in the lot behind the large, brick building we'd probably be heading into shortly. A large neon sign of pinks, blues and purples flashed over the back door and read 'Déjà Vu,' and it was right about then that I felt a nervous lump form in my throat. Once I managed to swallow it, I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. "This isn't right, Kai..."

"Of course it is," he assured me with a jovial slap on my back. "The rules are simple: 'Look and don't touch,'" he laughed.

"Let me guess... we're picking up one of your ex-girlfriends," I sighed, shaking my head in frustration. I couldn't say it really surprised me if that was the case, but...

"In a way..." he replied on our way inside the first door. "We broke it off after she a couple of kids," he continued to explain. Although I raised an eyebrow, he was already far ahead of me. "No, neither of them were mine," he chuckled which didn't exactly reassure me any. He could be such a disgusting person to be around at times... and my next revelation made it all the more sickening to be in his presence.

"So... you're telling me you were having an _affair_ with a married woman?" I seethed. Kai merely shrugged, but I knew I hit the nail on the damn head with this one. No wonder he was so casual about my situation with Chelsea... "And are you also telling that you _still_ went after her even though she already had a kid?" I added in an even harsher tone. He narrowed his eyes for a moment until he thought better of letting himself get worked up over the matter. Not like he had a right to be angry with me in the first place...

"Just drop it," he sighed while we walked through a dark hallway, only briefly stopping to pay the cover charge to a rather busty, yet noticeably meek woman at the small booth. "We're just friends these days, and I mean that." Somehow, though, I still didn't believe a word of it. Knowing him...

Friends with _benefits_ was probably the best interpretation of their current 'friendship.'

However, I didn't get a chance to call him out on it before the door at the end of the hall opened, and my ears were assaulted by the overwhelming blast of rock pumping throughout the entire club. My nose wrinkled with disgust when I first caught a whiff of the toxic odor of cheap perfume, sweat, smoke, and god only knows what else, but Kai's grin only broadened as we stepped inside. He didn't even hesitate to ask the first topless waitress we came across for a piña colada, and soon enough, he was guiding me through the mass of exposed flesh and not so subtle caresses of the working girls while he merely sipped on his drink.

Luckily for me, Kai effortlessly brought me along behind him, and I all I had to do was try to ignore the drooling pigs that crowded around the center stage, but every so often, one would still try to shove me out of the way to get a better view of the... performance. Most of them were big, burly fuckers with Cuban cigars clenched between their grinning, yellow teeth while others, much like myself, looked downright unsettled by the whole scene. Then, of course, there were those like Kai. They usually kept in close circles with one another, though, in the booths lining the walls, yet they were also the most vocal with their cat calls.

That kind of arrangement was exactly what my friend was after, it seemed, since he found us one in the far back corner and flopped down into his seat with a satisfied smile plastered on his face. Even so, it faltered slightly once he caught sight of the exhausted expression on my own.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "You look like you're going to puke, dude."

"Nice observation, jack ass..." I grumbled before resting my forehead on the cool surface of the wooden table. Great... I was already sick to my stomach, and now I had to be here until only god knows when once his 'friend' showed up. All I wanted was to go back home, go to bed, and forget that any of this had ever happened. Still, that last one wouldn't be so easy to accomplish since I was more or less traumatized by now.

Don't get me wrong, I'd been to these kinds of clubs before, but that was in my younger days. I wasn't _old_ by any means, certainly considering that I wasn't even close to thirty yet, but because I hadn't found myself in one of these places in quite some time, I wasn't mentally prepared for all to come at me at once. Besides... this joint seemed to be a little trashy for my tastes.

Over half the girls had nipple or... other questionably placed piercings, and the majority of the others had tramp stamps and tattoos all across their bodies like living canvases. I was sure that for some more artistically, or perhaps sick, individuals these women were works of art, but for me, it was just a gaudy mess. Still, the girls that fit into neither category (or weren't a combination of both these horrors) looked downright ashamed of themselves as they huddled together like frightened children.

Made me feel like a damn predator to see them cower under my sleepy gaze... Poor things...

"Chin up, Denny," Kai sighed as he motioned for one of the waitress to come over and get me a seven 'n' seven. Of course she'd have to be topless as well... Didn't _any_ of these girls had a natural pair around here? "We only have to stay here until one, and then we can head home,"he assured me.

"Kai... it's only _nine,"_ I reminded him crossly, refusing to lift my head from the table. That meant we were stuck here for around four hours, and I wasn't sure if I could take much more. I'd wanted to leave before we even stepped in the first door.

You see, I just didn't understand the point of coming here. What did I have to gain, other than something I'd just have to take care of later when I got home, by coming here? Might as well buy myself a TV and a porno. Basically the same damn thing, after all, though I only had to pay for it once, and if you asked me, that made it even more practical.

"But I can guarantee you won't want to miss tonight's show," he assured me with a wink, reclining back once again. Although I knew I could easily argue with his logic, I decided just to let it go. I was already in this hell hole, so I might as well watch. After all, I hadn't had to fork out anything which meant I wasn't here on _my_ dollar, and I wouldn't have to feel guilty about perpetuating this digression of women's empowerment on such a degrading scale, either.

Listen to me, trying to be philosophical about a _strip club_ of all things...

Resting back against the cushion of my seat, I cast a weary eye towards the center stage, and I realized that it was mysteriously vacant. It was also the only one that led into a black curtain, and I couldn't help but wonder why it was set up that way. Obviously it was intended to give the stripper a 'grand entrance,' but as of now, it was noticeably empty. Soon enough, though, I had a feeling t was about to come to life.

No sooner had I thought it, the music kicked up once again, and I felt that all too familiar sinking sensation settling in my chest. Of course... the choice in music wasn't making things any better.

_'Lay me down, got a lovely face...' _Just as soon as the song began, the curtains were thrust open by the woman herself, clad in black thigh-highs with clear, platform heels, and the entire crowd rose up as they waved their dollar bills in her direction. These boys had been waiting for this one apparently...

Almost every part of her that _was_ covered was in leather, or metal studs, and even though just the thought of it made me cringe, I recognized her ensemble as nothing less than a dominatrix suit. And, yes, the whip _was_ included which didn't exactly put my mind at ease any. Kai, on the other hand, was just laughing and howling at her bare breasts with the rest of the hooligans. These were clearly some depraved individuals... every single damn one of them.

_'Scream so loud! Get fucking laid!'_ She'd begun her routine in what I found to be the usual fashion by sliding down the pole with one leg hooked around it, but she also gave the whip a fierce crack at the very moment she did so. How could some guys get off on this kind of shit? I shudder at the thought... Thank god that Kai was just having fun because I think I would've lost any of the respect I had left for him had I known he was potentially getting his jollies off with this.

However, what troubled me the most was the fact that she looked vaguely familiar...

"Recognize her?" he chuckled with a knowing grin. I glanced back at the woman as she clung to the pole, upside down this time, and I tried my best to squint through the flashing lights to identify her. However, it was only when I caught a glimpse of her bright green eyes as she threw back her dirty-blonde hair that I realized who she was, and then I found myself absolutely mortified.

_"Karen?"_ I choked out, snapping my head to face him once more which he replied with a nod and a laugh.

Indeed, it was the mother of three although you wouldn't know just by looking at... Oh, Judas Priest, I was looking at a _married_ woman doing a damn strip tease on a fucking _pole!_ And to the lines of _'You're crazy, bitch, but you fuck so good I'm on top of it'_ no less!

"Get me out of here..." I snarled, reaching across the table and taking a firm hold of the man's collar. Kai only stared at me blankly with a raised eyebrow. However, I didn't give him a lot of time to think about it before I brought him inches from my face and did my best to drown out _'When I dream, I'm doing you all night!'_ "Get me out of here _now._"

"Aw, come on, Denny," he sighed. "It's not like Rick doesn't know what's paying the bills," he scoffed while freeing himself from my death grip. "Did you know he met her at this club?" he continued with a lazy smile. "He lived in one of the apartments above here, and one morning, he found her out cold in the stairwell and brought her up to his place to sleep it off. She'd been drinking too much the night before apparently... not that it's all too surprising. After all, she was like that when I met her, too..."

"So what you're saying is that you went after a _drunk_ married woman?" I challenged, narrowing my eyes at him while taking a sip of my drink. His face flushed as he glanced away in shame, but he still managed to come up with an excuse to defend himself.

"Does it still count against me if I was smashed as well?" he offered with a pleading gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes," I grumbled. "Especially when you keep it going afterwards." Kai seemed to sink deeper into his seat for a moment, looking more than a little defeated, but I wasn't about to turn a blind eye to any of this while he continued to do his best to persuade me to accept his way of thinking. I wasn't about to adopt his 'morals,' either, if you could even call them that. I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately, he wasn't just Karen's ride home... He was mine as well. "Why are _you_ the one taking her home anyway?" I asked suddenly.

"Because her friend Selena is taking Renee on a little date tonight," he explained in a matter of fact tone which just brought up the question of who _they_ were. Despite the girls obviously being with one another, I wouldn't doubt he tried to get a threesome out of the deal. I didn't get a chance to ask him about them, though, since his eyes seemed to suddenly light up, and following his gaze, I found Karen had come over to see us. As if I wasn't _enough_ of a nervous wreck... Now I had to face the wife of a man I actually respected and keep myself from gawking at her at the same time. I might've had a strong institution, but it wasn't going to be easy by any means.

"Kai!" she laughed, giving him a hug. I cringed since she had just finished with her show moments before, and although she was finally out of her party suit, she was still topless and wearing a g-string. However, she happened to catch a glimpse of me, and she immediately flashed a smile in my direction. "And who's your scared, little friend here?"

"This is Denny, a friend of mine from work," he replied as he patted his leg for her to sit. "I don't have to pay you for this, do I?" he teased, resting his hand on her waist. So much for 'look and don't touch...'

"Oh, come on now," she laughed again, wrapping her arm around his neck. "I'm not _that_ desperate for money yet!" Then she lifted his glass and finished off the rest of his drink which didn't seem to faze him any. If there was one thing to commend Kai for, it was the fact that he wasn't really a drinker unless everyone else in his company was having a few as well. "But you _could_ buy me another drink..." she pleaded while batting her false eyelashes and cozying up to him even more. _"Please?"_

"I thought you'd never ask," he chuckled with a sultry smile as he motioned another waitress over. "Can you get this lovely lady a drink?" he purred with a wink. "The strongest cocktail you got." The young brunette nodded as she scampered off towards the bar, but the entire time, his eyes never left the woman sitting on his lap. However, when she realized that he wasn't exactly paying attention to what was being said, Karen simply ran a slender finger along his jawline and gave him a kiss to bring him back into the conversation. Even though he may have flinched, he didn't stop her, and with that, as far as _I_ was concerned, Kai's fate was sealed.

Because, for Claire's sake, there was no way in hell I'd let him get away with it...


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

"What's that kid's problem?" my companion asked as she lit her tenth cigarette of the evening. "He was glaring at you the whole damn time." I merely cast her a sidelong glance before chuckling to myself and bringing my attention back to the road.

"Denny doesn't really... get out all that much," I replied, trying to explain my friend's peculiar behavior. I knew I'd crossed the line with him when she kissed me, but what the hell was I _supposed_ to do? Shove her off? Besides, it wasn't like there was my feeling behind it since she was only trying to get a rise out of me. I should've known he'd take it the wrong way, though. "He's not the kind of guy who goes to a strip club very often is all."

"So he's gay?" she mused, glancing in my direction and raising a perfectly plucked brow. I just laughed.

"Hardly! He has his mind on a lady friend of his is all, and he tends to over think these things," I explained with a chuckle. However, I think that's what I liked best about him, the fact that he'd think things through before he chose to act. Sure, sometimes it got in the way of him living his life like when it came to that mystery woman of his, but for the most part, it kept him out of trouble. I had to admire his strong sense of right and wrong, too, because I was lacking in that department something awful.

Karen, on the other hand, didn't look all that impressed while she continued to stare straight ahead of us into the blur of the city lights. Although I'd warned her not to drink herself to ruin tonight, I could tell she'd done just that by the firm set of her jaw. I might've bought her a cocktail, but I knew the other patrons were offering her hard liquor for her seductive services. Unfortunately, she wasn't one to refuse them.

"Anything new going on with you guys?" I asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. I didn't want her passing out in my car, after all, because then I'd have to ask her husband for help. When Karen was out, she was out, and her body seemed to become like lead if you tried to lift her in such a state.

"Other than Julia teething?" she grumbled bitterly which caused me to sigh in defeat. You know, I wasn't sure why Karen ever decided to be a mother in the first place since it was clear to me she didn't want anything to do with her children. Maybe that's why I was always so insistent on getting them gifts for Christmas and each of their birthdays... After all, I'd seen first-hand what that level of indifference, not to mention other, darker feelings, of a parent could do to an unwanted child. Unlike me, though, they still had a father to raise them when their mother obviously couldn't.

The only thing I ever had was my mother's boyfriend of the week...

"You know... I really think Natalie's taking after you," I continued. She may have her dad's hair and eyes, but she had every bit of her mother's attitude. Just imagine my surprise to hear a five year old tell me in the hallway that I needed to 'shut the fuck up' at night, so she and her brother could go to sleep at night without her daddy yelling at me through the wall. It was quite entertaining, I can assure you, although I finally decided that it was probably time to keep it down with my neighbor's kids starting to become more aware of what might be going on behind the wall of their living room. As much as I loved pestering the hell out of Rick, I still didn't want to be the one responsible for the poor guy having to explain to the 'Birds and the Bees' to the little girl _just_ yet due to my lustful antics.

"Don't tell Rick that," she scoffed. "He doesn't even let the boys at the park play with her..." Then she threw back her head and laughed. "If she becomes a lesbian, you can bet I'll rub it in his face, too!"

Although I was more than willing to defend the man being as I knew he was only trying to keep his daughter off the pole, I didn't have time once we pulled up to our building. Karen only sighed as she picked her purse off the floor, but I still wondered if she'd really be okay. At the club, I'd actually had to help her get dressed. Even wearing nothing more than a pair of cut-off jean shorts, a white tank, and a purple vest, it was something of a struggle to convince her to put her clothes on. Especially when she kept laughing about how I used to undress her instead.

My concern was apparently founded since she stumbled and toppled back into the passenger's as soon as she managed to get out of the car. "Karen, are you sure you're okay?" I asked while helping her back on her feet. She only gazed up at me with dull eyes, and I decided to take that as a definite 'no.' However, having her slump forward and wrap her arms around me was somewhat unexpected, and her grabbing my ass didn't make the situation any less awkward, either.

"Such a beautiful bastard, you are," she chuckled, nuzzling into me. Good lord... she _was_ plastered...

"Come on then," I sighed, having come up with a spur of the moment idea. She giggled when I crouched down for her to get on my back, but I only rolled my eyes. "Let me take you upstairs, so you don't end up killing yourself," I ordered. After all, it was going to be hard enough explaining to Rick why I was bringing his wife home in the first place without having her take a serious tumble down seven flights...

I managed to make the climb fairly to our floor easily enough even though I had to admit it was rather hard to ignore the playful nips the woman was taking at my neck. However, I simply reminded myself that once I got her home I would be heading straight for Claire's, and from then on, I was able to keep my head on straight which took less effort than I originally thought it would. Even so, I knew I couldn't mess around in this relationship since I was sure I'd never get another chance with her. While no one would've believed me if I honestly told them, I still really wanted to make it work between Claire and I. It was about the only decision I'd ever made that actually made some crazy kind of sense.

"Okay, Karen," I chuckled quietly once we reached the end of our hall. "Home sweet home." She nodded slowly as she slipped down off my back and unsteadily onto the floor. Somehow she'd managed to lose both of her shoes on the way up, but I also couldn't help but notice that 'home' was just about the _last_ place she seemed to want to be, either. It was written all over her disgruntled face. "What's wrong?"

"Please don't make me go in there, Kai..." she begged, tugging at my jacket and gazing at the door like a wide-eyed child.

"What about your kids?" I asked gently before resting my hand on hers. "I'm sure they'd be happy to see you after work... no matter how late it is." However, the mother only shook her head, and I heard her begin to cry which startled me a little. I might've been with numerous women before, but a woman's tears were still something that I was powerless against. Usually all I could do was just stumble through a few well rehearsed phrases. This wouldn't be so easy now, though, since I wasn't exactly feeling it tonight, especially not towards her.

"They aren't mine," she murmured while wiping away her tears. "I never wanted any of 'em, and I sure as hell don't want 'em now." Although I wasn't one to ever strike a woman, I had to admit it was hard to resist slapping some sense into her, but right now, this wasn't my mother standing in front of another man. It was a different woman altogether, and it wasn't my place to judge her, either.

"But you _are_ their mother," I reminded her sharply. Her head shot up as she narrowed her eyes, but I still remained firm. "Children aren't mistakes, and you should know better than anyone that I..." However, I stopped myself after I reminded myself once more that it had nothing to do with me or my childhood.

"I still can't go in there," she insisted, averting her gaze to the floor. "Rick'll just get mad at me for drinking again..." Even knowing that it was nothing more than another excuse, that was the point when I crumbled. She was just buying time, of course, but I also felt that it'd be wrong of me to let the woman go see her children in such a state. Needless to say, I was becoming conflicted about what should've been a simple decision from the start. How women managed to do this to me... I only wish I knew.

"Alright, Karen," I sighed heavily, guiding her towards my apartment. "You can sleep at my place then if you really think you need to..."

"Kai, you're the best," she chuckled wickedly, offering me a sly grin in return for my generosity. At that moment, I realized she'd pulled a fast one on me, but even if she was drunk, she still had an incredible gift for remembering broken promises. Although I considered just opening her front door and leaving it at that, I wasn't about to let her turn this one on me later.

However, once I'd let her into my apartment, she scampered off for my bedroom right away before I'd even managed to turn on the light. Chuckling and shaking my head in amusement, I could only her in the darkness of my humble home, but stepping into my room, I was stunned to find that she'd already left a trail of her clothing on my floor. I guess it wasn't all too surprising she'd done so with such skill being as she was a stripper for the past twelve years, yet I was still impressed to find her lounging seductively on my bed. Her hand caressed my red, statin bedding while she tilted her head back and let her luscious hair pour over my purple, silk pillows, and I had to give myself a brief scolding for actually considering joining her at first.

"God, I forgot what good taste you have," she marveled, her eyes passing over my luxurious mahogany dressers and matching end tables. "Why are you living _here_ of all places with digs like these?" she whispered breathlessly as if she'd lost herself in her moment of envy.

"Because if I didn't, I couldn't afford any of this," I replied with a shrug.

Really, I made good money at the office, but there was something about the old building that drew me to it. To be honest, I'd actually begged the landlord not to begin renovations on our floor, but my plea had seemingly fallen on deaf ears since they'd ripped up the retro carpeting and wallpaper as soon as the winter holidays were over. Because of that, I'd already begun scoping out a new place to live as well. I only wanted a 'pad,' and those were becoming more and more rare in this world of fast paced progress and head-spinning change. At least I hadn't invested in installing a mirror above the bed _just_ yet... For a luxury like that, I wanted to be sure I'd be sticking around for a few more years.

"Want to join me?" the woman purred which reluctantly brought my attention back to her. I offered her a lazy smile, but then I merely shook my head. Although her offer was tempting, I couldn't bring myself to even go near her at the moment. Might bite my damn head off or something... Actually begged the question of why couldn't I just let these women go. Every time I became involved with one, I found I couldn't escape them in the end, and they'd reappear in my life until I found myself falling in love with them all over again.

"Sorry but I've got to go," I replied, turning to take my leave. However, just as I got to the front door, I felt her throw her arms around me once more, and standing on her tip-toes, her warm breath brushed against my ear and sent shivers down my spine. _"Don't,"_ I warned as her breasts rested teasingly against my back.

"Come on, Kai..." she whispered while leaning further into me. "Let's just do it one more time... for old time's sake." I felt her hands trailing down from my chest towards my belt buckle, but I didn't let her go any further before wrenching myself away and turning to face her. "Why the hell are you being so damn stubborn?" she demanded, narrowing her bright green eye's like a cat. "When did you become such a self-righteous prick anyway?"

"I have a girlfriend," I explained sternly.

"And I have a husband," she countered with a snarl. "Besides, since when do you give a fuck about anyone other than yourself?" she continued, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug grin. "You said so yourself that there's nothing wrong with-"

"That's enough, Karen," I deadpanned, glaring right back at her. "We shouldn't have done anything from the start, and I sure as hell won't do anything now." Then I opened the door and I spoke in a gentler tone, "Just go to bed, and I'll just tell Rick your sleeping it off..." Before she could protest or even say a single word, I stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind me with a soft click. Being her usual manipulative self, I heard the woman curse, and then she seemed to choke back a sob of sorts. However, she'd pulled the same trick on me numerous times in the past which made it easier to ignore her.

Of course, now would come the actual hard part since I was confident that my neighbor wouldn't be glad to see me in the first place, let alone with me having to tell him his drunk wife would be sleeping in _my_ bed for the night.

Needless to say, we'd never been on the best of terms, and trying to explain the current situation... well... I wasn't exactly sure how this was going to end up. He could actually believe me for once, or he could just as easily, and more likely, refuse to take my admittably questionable word for it. Being as I'd caused him so much trouble in the past, I was pretty damn sure it'd be the latter of the two, but there was no turning back. It had to be done, so then I could _finally_ get back to my girl and enjoy the weekend I was planning on spending with her.

However, just when I was about to knock, I found the man was standing directly in front of me in an open doorway. His long hair fell into his face as always, but even through his bangs, I could tell he was glaring at me. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he muttered darkly, pushing his glasses back up his nose with his middle finger.

"Nice to see you, too, Rick," I chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of my neck and offering him an uneasy grin. "Just so you know, Karen is-"

"I heard," he sighed heavily as he leaned against the doorframe. "You two were never really all that quiet, so you shouldn't look so surprised," he remarked with a smirk when he saw my startled expression. Could he really blame me, though? After all, up until this very moment, he'd snap at me every chance he got, but now he was playing _nice?_ "If there's one thing these shitty walls are good for, it's finding out the truth," he mused with a light knock on the plaster.

"Are you sure it's alright, though?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Just what the hell was up with this guy? Wasn't he the one who once told me he'd like to see my manhood strung up above his door if he ever caught me sleeping with his wife again?

"Just go back to your girlfriend, and I'll take care of her," Rick assured me with a slight nod towards my apartment. However, when I glanced down out of shame, I happened to see Elliot was clinging to his father's pant leg and staring up at me from behind his large glasses. I smiled down at him, yet he just scampered off to his sister who was glaring at me from the open doorway of the family's bedroom. How could such a little girl already have so much hatred in her eyes? "And..." the man began again, his gaze following the small boy. "Don't worry about the kids. They already know how their mother can be at times..."

As he closed the door behind him, though, I lingered in the hallway and wondered what this sinking feeling in my chest could be. Of course, it was familiar to me, but I hadn't felt anything like it in quite some time. It was then that I realized where I'd seen that look in that child's eyes, and that's when the guilt began to set in. After all...

I knew how their mother could be... because mine was the exact same way.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

How is it that mornings can be so deceiving?

Sometimes you wake up to a cloudy sky, but all you have to do is give it a little time for it to become a sunny afternoon. Others begin with the sunlight streaming in the windows... only to bring rain once your shift is finally over. You usually never know which it's going to be until it comes, either.

Today, though, I couldn't help but think that the gray skies were here to stay even when the weather report promised that things would be clearing up soon enough. I was sure that I was only being foolish, but I still couldn't shake the thought as I ran a comb through my tangled hair. I used to brush it every morning until I'd read in _People_ that it would only cause more split ends. If nothing else, I figured that catching snarls on the tooth of a comb was a much better alternative to having my hair smell like eggs and mayonnaise after one of my legendary at-home repair 'treatments.'

"We're going to be late if you don't hurry up," Kai warned as he popped his head into the bathroom, nearly scaring me half to death in the process. Although I knew he was hoping for me to start running around the house in a mad panic, he'd apparently forgotten about my internal clock since I knew we had over an hour 'till eight rolled around. Of course, the reflection of his brilliant smile in my mirror was also a tell-tale sign he was only joking.

"So says the man who doesn't even have his pants on yet," I giggled while putting my hair up into a tight bun. He simply chuckled and mussed my hair on his way past me to use the sink as was his custom, but I wasn't having any of it this morning. "Hey! Don't do that!" I protested, waving him off.

"Aw... but I like your hair better when it's down," he whined. While I didn't even look in his direction, I already knew well enough that he was currently pouting, and I had to ask myself how he could act like such a child at times. Usually I found it to be incredibly sweet, but I didn't really feel that way at the moment. If anything, I was more than just a little annoyed because he was interfering with my well established routine.

"I know, but it's not considered professional," I replied, trying to remain patient. "Shouldn't you be getting ready, too?"

"Oh, but I am," he assured me. However, when I glanced over towards him, I found he was only wearing a white button down and nothing else. He only laughed at my flushed expression, though.

"Kai!" I cried out, covering my flushed cheeks. "You could _at least_ put your boxers on!" I mean, him _sleeping_ without clothes was awkward enough for me, and now he was... Oh, I really didn't know if I could deal with all of this at once. It wasn't like I hadn't seen it before obviously, but I was still apparently still mortified to have his walking around my house in the buff. However, he just thought it was the natural thing to do.

Nothing else ever seemed to faze him, either, and yet there were still times that I felt he closed himself off to the world, including me. I couldn't really explain it although I suppose the best way to put it into words would be to say that he chose to ignore the things that troubled him. He would just make some joke and laugh it off instead of dealing with the problem himself.

Maybe that's why we never discussed 'it' in the first place...

"Because it's really no big deal unless you let it be," he replied with a shrug as he began brushing his teeth. "Thas wha I alwa sa an-wa..." I nodded in agreement, but I wasn't so sure of that. After all, it hadn't helped _me_ any, so in that sense, I don't think I would ever be able to understand him. Instead, I simply continued counting the stokes I took with the comb and chose to forget all about the weather along with everything else that had been said. Let the rain and whatever else come because today I was just going to try and live my life for once.

--

Until I started dating Kai again, I never really thought about how inconvenient it was to be working alone, but since Gray had blatantly refused to so much as walk into my office for the past week, I'd had to answer his e-mails all throughout the day. It was such a nuisance to be messaging figures back and forth just because he disagreed with my relationship with another man. He might've been acting immature, but I knew I was being just as childish by remaining so stubborn about going to see him as well. Still, I was starting to become more willing to simply throw in the towel just so I could finally get some productive work done.

However, as I went to head across the hall to speak with him, I happened to literally run right into Denny. Unlike most of the men I worked with, he was about the about the same height as me, so I was actually able to see into his eyes when I did so. They were frightenly dark at first, but when he realized it was me they softened back to their usual warm brown color. I was more surprised that he was still here in the first place than any of that, though, since his shift was supposed to be over by three.

"Is Ms. Hart keeping you here longer than usual today, Denny?" I asked when he didn't break eye contact. "It's after four, you know." He blinked then as if I'd interrupted his train of thought, but soon enough he offered me a soft smile. Although I rarely ever spoke to him, being that he mostly kept to himself in the mailroom, I had always considered him to be a very kind man. He rarely said an ill word to anyone other than Kai every now and then, yet even on such occasions, it was clear he meant no real harm.

"No, I punched out a while ago," he explained with a slight shrug. Then why was he still here? He might've been waiting for Kai, but... that didn't make any sense. After all, Kai would've told me if he had any plans for the evening. He always did before anyway. "I actually was hoping to talk with you if you have a minute."

Maybe I was just being overly sensitive, but Denny's somewhat harsh tone caused my heart to give a little jump. He never really had much, or anything, to say to me unless I approached him myself. In that way, I suddenly came to realize he was almost the total opposite of Kai which may have been why I felt so unsettled around him. After all, he more or less looked like his friend, yet their demeanors couldn't be any more different. While one was social, optimistic, and adventurous, the other was quiet, realistic, and cautious.

Those eyes, though... I didn't even want to look into them anymore.

"Sure... I suppose I have some time," I agreed cheerfully. However, he didn't seem to be very comfortable with my reply which only left me even more uncertain. Just what did he want to talk to me about? "Is it something about Kai?" I asked without even meaning to voice my thoughts.

"You could say that..." he murmured, glancing away. My gaze instinctively followed his own, and they both rested on the open doorway at the far end of the hall. While his lingered there, though, I quickly brought my eyes back to him, but I still didn't like what I saw. He was not only staring in the direction of Kai's office but _glaring_ as well. "You might want to sit down," Denny warned me gently, his voice soft yet slightly condescending.

"Just tell me," I ordered as firmly as I began to tremble and study the floor with greater interest than necessary. "If Kai did something... then I want to know about it."

"Are you really sure about that?" he countered. My eyes snapped back up to find that his expression was one filled with worry, but I still felt the frustration within me begin to build. Maybe it was better if I never spoke to this man since it was obvious he had no interest in telling me any outright. "You might be better off if I _don't_ tell you," he continued with a heavy sigh. Was he always this indecisive? If I remembered right, Kai often complained about how his friend would most likely remain a bachelor through eternity, and given this little display, I was actually inclined to agree. "It's not like I'm entirely sure what happened anyway..."

"Denny, I don't have the patience for this," I replied sharply. "Now tell me or let me get back to work." Although I was trying my best to remain strong, I was still shaking something fierce. Why did I have the distinct feeling that he was pitying me for something?

"Fine then," he said at last with a curt nod. Then he gently took my arm and ushered me back into my office, but he didn't say a word until we were out of sight of anyone that might happen to pass by and see us. I could still just see Gray at his computer, though, and despite our reluctance to speak to one another in the past week, I found myself willing him to come over in case this news was actually something serious. "Do you know where Kai was Friday night?" I merely glanced back up at Denny and then shook my head. "I figured not..." he sighed heavily, running his fingers through his thick bangs.

"He was with me," Denny explained. At first I sighed with relief, but it turned out that the moment came too soon. "He took me to a strip joint, Claire..." he told me matter-of-factly while he shook his head in dismay. I could only gape at him since I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and given his slouched shoulders, it was as if he couldn't quite believe it either.

"W-what?" I managed to squeak out. "But why would he do that when..." After all, he told me I was beautiful, the only girl for him in fact, and yet... he'd gone to watch some other, strange woman on a pole instead of spending the night with me? I couldn't even describe the feelings of self hatred that began to wrap themselves around my thoughts after so long of struggling to keep them at bay. Even I knew that wasn't the truth, though. I never believed what he told me from the very day we got back together... or when we got together in the _first_ place...

Because I always, more than anything else, hated _myself_.

My hair, my skin, my eyes, my teeth, my height, my weight... I didn't want any of it to be me even though I knew every single detail undeniably was a part of what made Claire Marie Muller, and that terrified me most of all. After all, what kind of woman hates herself to such an extent? Certainly not one that was worth much of anything to begin with if you ask me which made it all the more peculiar of why Kai would want anything to do with the likes of me. Maybe that's why everything fell through not so long ago...

"Claire?" Denny asked quietly as he rested a hand gently on my shoulder. "Do you need to sit down?" he offered, already beginning to guide me over towards my chair. However, I wasn't finished with him just yet, and so I jerked my arm away from him despite his concern.

"Please, Denny... what was that man doing there in the first place?" I demanded. "If he was there with you, I want to know _why."_ The young man blinked in surprise, but I refused to let him play dumb with me now. "So tell me was he there because of _you,_ or did he just take you along?" Although I was trying to remain firm, I still heard myself choke a little. Why was this so hard when all I had to do was trust him?

"Kai was picking up a friend of his," he explained solemnly, his brown eyes becomingly all the more downcast. When I glared at him, he nervously continued, "A lady friend actually... Her name was Karen, and-"

"That's all I needed to know. Thank you," I deadpanned before brushing past him and back towards my computer.

I wasn't foolish enough to send the man an e-mail demanding that he explain himself to me, yet I seriously considered it for a moment. However, like the responsible woman I had tried so hard to be, I simply returned to my work as if nothing had even happened. The familiar numbers raced along until they became a blur, but the entire time I felt my heart ramming itself against my chest. Although I easily managed to ignore the fact that Denny was still lingering just behind me for a short while, there was no blocking out the words that rang without fail in my mind and the haunting images that came with them.

Kai bent over some other woman, one with bigger breasts no doubt, as he whispered her name over and over. Maybe she'd actually cry out his name, unlike me who could only whimper. If she was a stripper, she could probably _do_ a lot more than me in bed as well, and that was most likely why he'd gone back to her in the first place...

Or who knows? She just might've had a pretty face with a wonderful, completely _functional_ personality to match. With her, he wouldn't have to chose his words so carefully as if he was walking over broken glass. He probably wouldn't have to pussy foot around the kitchen, either, and I _know_ he'd be grateful for that. After all, what kind of man would want to be around someone who couldn't eat an entire meal in one setting even when he'd put everything he had into it... just for _her?_

I felt so disgusting just because of such horrible thoughts, but I knew I wasn't... not really. It was just my mind distorting my own image, deceiving myself to believe I was something that I could never truly be. That's what the doctors had always said anyway...

On our way back to my place, though, I kept wondering if there wasn't something I could've done to make Kai remain loyal to me. Even while he continued to spout off his usual nonsense throughout our evening together, I could only force a smile. Every so often I would say something just to keep the conversation going, but it was nothing more than a farce to convince him, if not myself, that everything was perfectly fine between us.

My face was actually starting to hurt from it all, though.

"Claire, is something wrong? You've been kind of... off today," Kai observed as he pulled his shirt off for the night. He tossed it over by the dresser where Cucumber had been watching the two of us with an unsettlingly high level of interest. I don't think his haunting green eyes had left me the entire evening, and it was making more than a little uneasy. Did he know something I didn't as well? As soon as the shirt landed by him, though, he went streaking across the room and leapt into my arms. "Is something wrong with him, too?" my companion chuckled, shaking his head.

"I don't know..." I replied wistfully, stroking his fur soothingly. However, when I glanced over towards the offending piece of clothing, I noticed something I'd apparently missed earlier in my dampened mood. "Kai, didn't you where that shirt last Friday?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a simple shrug. "I didn't feel like finding something clean, so I figured it would be okay to wear it around here." I only rolled my eyes since that was nothing less than typical Kai behavior, but once I went to pick it up with my free hand, cradling my pet in the other, I caught a whiff of something peculiar. I had always had something of a nose for such things, yet I still felt my breath escape me in that very moment.

"This isn't my perfume," I mused, trying my best to keep my voice smooth and even. Kai didn't reply at first, no doubt catching wind of what was sure to be a storm, but I knew heard me. "Smells like cinnamon and sandalwood to me." Glancing back, I could see his face was beginning to pale which only fueled my suspicion further. "Tell me, Kai... Do they make a men's cologne like that nowadays?" I continued as my feline companion leapt to the floor and ran over to sit on my headboard, looking quite satisfied with himself. Isn't it funny how animals always seem to know these things when people don't? Perhaps it was time I began to trust his instincts more than my own. "And since when do _you_ smoke?"

"Don't be like that, Claire," he sighed, resting his hand tentatively on my shoulder. However, I didn't hesitate to smack it away and whip around to face him head on. He immediately raised both of his hands in a seemingly innocent gesture, and his eyes widened as well. "I swear to God, babe, I haven't messed around with anyone!"

"Mind telling me why you're going to strip clubs then?" I demanded coldly although I could already hear my voice rising. I could also tell that frustrated tears were finally beginning to well after all this time. I knew I shouldn't have given him so much of my trust... at least not so soon. "Am I not enough to get you to stick around here?"

"Who told you about that?" he asked, balking slightly. Apparently I'd really caught him off guard this time since he hadn't even bother to deny that he'd gone in the first place. If he was this out of it, then I might just have had something to worry about, after all, and that meant... I'd been right about him all along. Of course, he had begin to try and explain himself again just as I stormed out into the living room. "If Denny's the one who got you all bent out of shape, I can ex-"

"No, I don't want to hear it," I snapped, heading over towards the front porch with him tailing behind me. I didn't need any of his lousy excuses because I knew they were probably just more lies to try and confuse me with. I should've never trusted him in the first place... _Never._

"Baby, I was just picking up an old friend of mine," he tried to reassure me while trying to keep me from opening the door. "She just needed a ride, and-"

"You should've told her to ask someone else then," I countered, cutting him off once again. He opened his mouth to protest, but I was quite finished yet. "And don't you _dare_ try shitting me, Kai," I growled as I wretched open the door. "I _know_ she was one of your old girlfriends... Even without Denny telling me, I can figure out that much on my own, you asshole."

"Hey, you don't just assume shit like that," Kai shot back bitterly. I couldn't help noticing that his voice was rising as well even though I felt he had no reason for being angry with _me_ at this point. "All I did was go pick her up and take her back home."

"Liar!" I spat back, the tears now streaming down my face. "You came home at three, you son of a bitch! You were gone for _eight_ fucking hours!"

A dog somewhere nearby began to bark, but I chose to ignore it. I already felt vulnerable enough out in the yard in nothing more than a T-shirt on without concerning myself with whether or not my neighbors were awake to hear any of this. I was also too busy shivering since the rain had brought the temperature down to a cool forty degrees, and in my haste to get out of the house, I hadn't bothered to put on shoes. Possibly getting sick from being out under such conditions was the least of my worries, though. After all, I still had to deal with this rotten man against my will.

Kai was just as cold as I was since he was clearly trying to keep himself warm by crossing his bare arms over his chest. However, his eyes were still narrowed at me, but I just glared right back through my tears. "Well?" he asked irritably. "What do you _want_ me to say? It's pretty obvious I can't speak for myself anymore."

"Fuck you," I snapped, just trying to keep my teeth from chattering. "If you just had to go pick her up, then why did you stick around? You could've waited outside, or hell, I don't know, maybe you could've gone to get her when the place _closed?"_ He balked slightly once again, and I could tell his face was becoming red although I wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or frustration. Either way, I knew I had him on that point. "Or did you just fuck around with her after she got done with 'work?'"

"I had the chance," he muttered under his breath. My eyes widened as my heart hitched in my throat, but he didn't stop there. "She gave me the chance, you know... back at my place," he went on with smug satisfaction. "She was in my bed, too... just ready and waiting for me."

"Just go back to that little slut then if I'm not good enough for you!" I screamed, balling my hands into two tight fists as my body shook. Then, seemingly out of no where, I began to sob, and although I only to clung myself for support, I still felt like just letting myself crumple into a heap on the lawn. However, my head shot up when I heard an engine start, and before I could even say another word, Kai was backing out of my driveway and onto the street without a single glance my way. I just stared at the fading red lights as they disappeared into the night, unsure of whether or not he would come back any time soon, but at last, the realization that I'd been left began to set in.

The only remaining question was what I should do _now._

About the only things I _was_ sure of was the fact that I was not only cold and miserable, but exhausted as well. While I knew I probably would have to sooner or later, I didn't want to talk about any of it with someone just yet. However, there was only one thing that could help put my mind at ease for a while, and I just had to hope it was still open to me. That's all I could think about as I shuffled inside and towards my bedroom, though, shaking like a frail, little leaf. Cu didn't even show himself to me on my way over to the bed, but I didn't really care. He'd been the one who started all of this anyway...

Just for a moment, I simply sat on the edge of the mattress and debated what to do although I knew exactly what I had to do it if I had any desire to get some decent rest for tomorrow morning. Otherwise I'd be stuck here wondering whether Kai might come back for his things, or even worse, he might come back and try to talk things through. That was really all the motivation I needed to finally pick up the phone. The buttons seemed so impossibly small as I clumsily punched in the numbers which by now had become so ingrained in my mind I was sure I'd never truly forget them. However, I found I could barely speak when I heard the wonderfully familiar mutterings on the other end, but thankfully, there was very little to say except

"Gray... Come get me."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

When I first got Claire's call, I've got to admit I was a little less than enthusiastic about answering her cry for help. After all, it was late, and I'd also just gotten home myself and settled in before my phone started ringing. Being out here and driving clear to the other side of town probably wasn't the best thing for me to be doing anyway in my current condition, but there wasn't really convincing myself otherwise. After all, her voice had sounded so small and far away, and it was more than apparent that she'd been crying by the soft hiccups that interrupted her occasionally. I had a sneaking suspicion that a certain shameless bastard was to blame for it, too.

If there's one thing I can't forgive a man for, it's making a woman, whether she be his or anyone else's, break down in tears.

Consider it a weakness if you will, but there was something about that a woman crying that gets to me every time. It doesn't even matter what it's about, either. I just always get that uncertain feeling in my chest that tells me I have to do something, and as long as she asks for help, I've found I'll do just about anything to get the waterworks to stop.

However, I hadn't planned on finding her sitting out on her front porch with only a T-shirt on and a blanket wrapped around her. She was shaking something awful as well, but she didn't say anything to me at first. She only gazed up at me with blood-shot eyes which didn't suit her baby blue orbs in the least, and her cheeks were also stained a deep red, giving the woman more color in her face than I'd ever seen before. This time, though, I think I would've preferred to see her deathly pale complexion since, to be honest, she looked downright pathetic all by her lonesome.

"You called?" I asked gruffly, offering her a hand. She sniffled some, wiping away any lingering tears, but she still accepted the gesture. With one gentle tug, she was upright again, and she would've stumbled into me if I hadn't steadied for on her feet. God damn... if she got any scrawnier, I'd have to tie her to a string to keep her from blowing away in the breeze. "Must've been some..." I began before realizing that now wasn't the time for acting like an ass. By the looks of her, that bastard did more than enough of it on this particular night. "Is that all you're bringing with you, Claire?"

She nodded weakly which caused me to me to sigh. However, just as I was about to walk back to my truck, I felt her tiny hand reach out for mine, and glancing back at her, I found her head was bowed and she'd started crying again. Unfortunately for the both of us, that meant I had to find out some way to comfort her which could only be considered a miracle if I managed to pull it off.

"Let's go then," I beckoned her quietly in a tone as soft as I could manage. "You're going to catch cold if you don't get warmed up." Although I figured I was probably being insensitive, I honestly didn't know how else to go about it. Even if I was able to think clearly, I knew I'd just end up making a fool of myself, and that wouldn't have been any good, either. I'd just upset the poor girl even more with my damn luck...

The young woman only gripped my hand tighter, but she still trailed after me all the same. When I opened the door for her, I realized that she was barefoot just as she scrambled up into the cab. "Where the hell are your shoes?" I sighed, shaking my head in something that was either amusement or disbelief.

"Does it really matter?" she mumbled, nestling herself deeper into her blanket. I thought about asking her what she planned to wear for work the next day, but I figured she had no intensions of going with that asshole being there which I actually understood for the most part. I wouldn't want to see that bastard, either, if he fucked me up that bad.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I asked, still standing next to the open door. She didn't reply, and with that, I figured I more or less had my answer. I couldn't blame her for not wanting to talk about it, though, since their argument or whatever it was had most likely shattered her for the time being. While I hadn't known what it was all the about the last time she broke up with him, I recalled that she'd seemed awfully down for the next couple of weeks. Sure, she'd still smile and everything, yet I knew her better than anyone else which meant I was probably the only one in the whole damn place to notice the change in her as a result.

For most of the ride back to my place, Claire was silent except for maybe a few sniffles here or there. She simply stared straight ahead onto the road as we drove on, but there were a few moments when I'd sneak a glance over her way to find her quietly crying to herself again with the tears streaming silently down her face. All I could do was pat her shoulder to try and console her in her my meager abilities in the way of offering comfort, but that only made me feel like an ass for not being able to do more for her. What else could I do, though?

"Is it my fault?" she whispered at last, more for her ears than my own. "I didn't even give him a chance to explain..."

"Explain _what_ exactly?" I demanded, gripping the steering wheel tighter with one hand while the other rested impatiently by the window. The rain had begun to fall again, and even with the wipers running, the world outside my pick up was nothing but a blur. Claire shifted uncomfortably in her seat as we cruised through downtown, but I paid it little mind. After all, it was the shortest route to my place unless we took the express way which was a last resort as I was concerned. I hated all that bullshit when it came to switching lanes and finding my exit.

"Well... I was just thinking that it was unfair of me to get so upset over a strip club is all," she replied softly, her cheeks turning slightly red. It was a damn good thing there was no one behind us, though, because I slammed on the brakes as soon as she said it. Her little body lurched forward, but she managed to catch herself which kept her from smashing her forehead on the dashboard.

"He was _where?"_ I asked, all but stunned by the sheer arrogance of the bastard. Although I didn't have much interest in half dressed women with glitter or any of that tacky shit anyway, I still knew it was one of those joints you didn't go to once you had a woman of your own to mess around with. Not that I liked the thought of him even touching Claire, mind you, but I knew it was better for that to happen than for him to leave the poor girl home while he went to go see some fucking skin at a titty bar.

"Denny told me he had to pick up someone from there," Claire continued as we drove on. "But... apparently she was more than just a friend of his." I stared at her out of the corner of my eye, but I said nothing since I was too busy trying to decide just how I was going to dismember the bastard tomorrow. Now the only question was...

Should I start by snapping an arm or a leg?

"I know it's my fault," Claire whispered, resting her head on the dashboard. "I was just jealous because I know I'm not good enough," she explained quietly with a weary sigh. Then she choked back a sob, and I heard her begin to cry again. "I wasn't before, and I'm not now, either..."

"Bull shit," I growled which caused her tears to come to go abrupt stop. "You didn't do a god damn thing wrong, Claire," I assured her in a firm tone. As we pulled up to a red light, I turned to face her, and even though she turned away at first, I could tell her face was red and splotchy from crying. Still, I didn't think that it was necessary for her to try and hide behind her hair. She jumped a little as I brushed it back behind her ear, but I only offered her a faint smile in reply. "That bassard's the one who fucked up, not you."

Even though I'd been trying my best not to make it apparent, I felt my face warm to realize I'd slurred my words. However, she didn't mention it... but that just made me more worried. It just wasn't like her because she _always_ scolded me about my bad habits, and yet it hadn't even fazed her.

"Then why would he do that?" she asked quietly as we drove on. "If I tried to better myself, then-"

_"Claire,_ I'm not going to say it again... Quit blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong." I sighed in frustration, running my fingers through my hair, since it hadn't been my intention to snap at her. The thing that bothered the hell out of me was that she kept feeling like _she_ was the defective one when that asshole had been the one to ruin whatever good might've come out of this thing they'd had going on between them. "Sometimes," I began again, trying to keep my voice down this time, "shit just happens, and no matter what books you read, what you say, or what you do it's not gonna make a damn bit of difference." Then I slammed my hand on the steering wheel and chuckled to myself. "There," I said simply. "Lecture's over."

My coworker was silent for a moment as we pulled into my driveway, and when I turned to face her, her blue eyes were wide as saucers. However, soon enough she smiled, and then, to my surprise, she actually giggled. "I've got to admit, Gray," she sighed contently, "you really do know how to get your point across."

"Let's get you inside then," I offered, thinking better of telling her that it was the drink talking at that point. I still stepped out of the driver's seat and onto the ground without any trouble, of course, but I happened to hear Claire struggling with the other door. Only then did I remember that it was still jammed on the inside, and I apologized gruffly as I opened the door for her. She nearly fell out when I opened it, though, since she'd been leaning into it to try and get out, but to both our surprise, I actually had managed to catch the young woman. She blinked up at me in confusion, yet it took me a second to get my mind caught up with my actions before I managed to ask if she was alright.

"Ah, yes," Claire assured me, a faint blush creeping across her delicate features. However, as she went to right herself in the seat and try once more, he blanket got caught, and she nearly fell onto the pavement again.

"Here," I chuckled, sweeping her up into my arms like a little girl. "Since you apparently can't walk worth a damn, I guess I'll have to carry you, won't I?"

"Gray, you really don't have to..." she protested, all the while wrapping her arms around my neck as if she thought I might actually drop her. "I can walk by myself. I'm probably too heavy for you anyway." When she caught me glaring at her, she began rambling again. "Yes, I know _you_ don't think so, but I do," she insisted, her voice becoming weak again. "I've tried to convince myself that I'm really not that big, but it's not easy for me to actually believe that."

"So... let me get this straight," I began, furrowing my brow as I turned the key and stepped inside. "Even if someone tells you you're perfectly fine, you'll still find something wrong?" She hesitated for a moment, but once I set her back down, she finally gave me a slight nod. "And is that why you read all that shit?" Another nod. "Well... has it helped any?"

"In some ways it has," Claire replied thoughtfully. "Like I'm not afraid to die anymore... Oh, don't look at me like that, Gray, I'm not going to do anything to myself; I'm just being philosophical," she assured me when my eyes darkened. "But..." she sighed, "sometimes I see those women that model for them, and then I start comparing myself to them which _never_ turns out well." Right about then, I noticed she was getting frantic again. However, the problem was that I didn't know how to get her to stop, and a part of me wondered if I even should. "I always end up getting myself upset, and the next thing I know, I'm crying my eyes out because I feel like absolute _shit._ Kai just chose to ignore it... but sometimes I just wish he would've let me at least _talk_ about it."

"Wait a second," I interrupted, taking a firm hold of the young woman's shoulders. "So you're trying to tell me that bastard knew about all this, and he just acted like nothing was wrong?" She blinked at me in confusion for a moment until offering me a small nod. I growled in frustration as I headed over to the last cupboard and snatching up a bottle of Jack with a couple of glasses. "That son of a bitch..." I muttered under my breath. He _knew_ she was having these kind of problems... and yet he _still_ left her for another woman without having a decency to step away from his relationship with her with some sense of respect...

_Damn him to fucking hell._

"You're angry," Claire stared flatly, drawing her blanket closer to her. I just glared over in her direction for a moment before bringing my attention back to pouring us a couple of drinks. Mine, of course, was to the brim, but a I only gave her a drop since I figured she was nothing but a lightweight. All anyone had to do was _look_ at her for Christ's sake to figure that out. "Do you always drink when you're upset?" she mused as she accepted her glass from me and studied it carefully.

"God damn right," I grumbled, confirming both of her observations. "It's a hell of a lot easier for me, that's for sure," I continued while picking up the pack of smokes laying on the counter. "Cigarettes and alcohol... That's my kind of therapy."

Claire shook her head sorrowfully and sighed, but she didn't say anything at first. She merely continued to stare at the amber liquid for a while longer before bringing the glass to her lips. Even though I was stunned to see she downed the whole thing in one gulp, I still had to chuckle to see the disgusted expression on her face. "Dear lord..." she coughed, tears running down her cheeks. "Gray, how can you even swallow this kind of stuff?"

"Practice," I teased as I swallowed the contents of my glass. "That's just to help you get to sleep tonight, though," I explained firmly. "I don't want you becoming an alcoholic like me just because I let you have a sip." Her face softened for a moment as her gaze clouded over with something akin to pity, and I felt my face begin to warm which I was confident wasn't due to the liquor in my system. "Come on... it's not like I don't know what I am," I sighed heavily as I slouched against the counter and lit myself a cigarette. "Most people don't bring a fucking flask to work with them everyday, you know."

"Then why do you keeping doing this to yourself?" she pressed, gently resting her soft hand on my arm.

"Because drinking's all I've ever done," I snarled, slamming down my glass. "Ever since I was fifteen, I've been drinkin', and it's a hell of a lot better that dealing with any of this shit on my own if you ask me." Claire trailed along silently after me on my way to my room with only the soft sound of her blanket dragging across the floor. However, I refused to look at her since I was already pissed off at myself for telling her even that much. I never wanted her to know any of it, but... she always seemed to bring out a sense of trust in me. "Just... let's not talk about it right now," I begged in a small voice of my own. "I'm tired... And I don't know about you, but I have work tomorrow."

"Alright," she replied, "but you have to sleep in your own bed if you're planning on getting anything done." I turned on my heel and stared wide-eyed at her with a raised brow. Just why was she so insistent about all of this? "When you slept on the couch the last time, you made a lot of careless mistakes," she teased.

"Fine," I agreed after a brief pause and a heavy sigh. "Just get over there, and I'll join you in a sec." The young woman all but squealed as she scampered off and hopped into my bed, but I only shook my head in amusement and chuckled. Could that girl get any cuter?

I immediately shook my head, only harder this time, to rid myself of the thought, but I knew it wouldn't disappear completely since it had a bad habit of resurfacing time and time again. I hadn't been the only one to notice how sweet she could be, of course, and maybe if I'd been man enough, I could've been the one to have her for myself. Still, I had a feeling that would never happen, not as long as she was still infatuated with _Kai_ anyway. Even if she wasn't in love with that bastard, though, I felt I didn't have a chance in hell of ever being with her, so there was no point in chasing pipe dreams and losing what little sense I had left.

By the time I came out of the bathroom, I found Claire had made something of a nest for herself on my bed with the few pillows I owned huddled around her on all but one side of her, and my face flushed to realize I could see her damn panties because of the way she was curled up with the covers pushed back for my arrival.

This woman was going to be the end of me...

"You know..." she sighed contently as she snuggled into one of my pillows. "Even though you smoke, you still smell really nice." Oh dear God... with her here I really _was_ fucked. Wait, that didn't come out right... I didn't mean I was planning on doing anything like _that_. of course, since I was just trying to be- "Gray, didn't you say you had to go to work tomorrow?" she giggled.

"Right... I did, didn't I?" I chuckled as well, shaking my head at my own anxieties. At first I went to take off my jeans like I usually did, but then I happened to glance up towards my bed which helped me realize I'd be right up against her while she slept making it the worst idea I could possibly have. I was already going to have a hard time getting any sleep with her so close to me without that being on my mind. "Why'd you call for _me_ anyway?" I asked gruffly as I slipped into bed with her, work clothes an' all. "It's not like I'm the best guy to have coming to the rescue or anything."

"Still..." she yawned, drawing herself into a tight, little ball. "You came, didn't you?" My face warmed slightly, but soon enough she earned the tiniest of smiles from me while I settled in and opened an eye to glance down at her.

Claire was still nestled in the dark blankets, yet I could tell that she was smiling as well. Her long hair splayed out behind her and over my bed, and I had to fight back the urge to take a lock of it between my fingers. However, even though I hesitated for a moment, I eventually sighed, and despite my better judgement, I made a not-so subtle move which I was sure I'd be kicking myself for in a moment. "You're gonna fall off the bed if you don't get away from the edge," I warned with a chuckle, gently pulling her closer.

Even when I expected her to flinch or draw away from me, I was surprised to have her roll over and shift closer to me instead, still balled up with only her hands brushing my side. However, all she mumbled was a thank you as she eased into me a little more, and then she simply drifted off to sleep, her breaths becoming increasingly slow and even, without another word. Sleep didn't come so easily for me, though, but it wasn't just because the young woman was in my bed or even touching me.

The only thing that kept me awake was the thought of what I could possibly do to make that bastard pay for what he'd done.

--

Although I had to admit I was reluctant to leave Claire the following morning, I found I was unusually calm on my way to work. I didn't bother to think about pressing deadlines or staying late, and on my way in the door, I actually had the courtesy to say hello to Elli and the bitch without having to be reminded by anyone. I had even gone so far as to offer them a smile as well which probably would explain the astonished expression on both their faces. Still, if they knew what was going on inside my mind, I'm pretty damn sure they would've sent me back home to cool my head for a while, but I wasn't about to ruin my chance to have a 'talk' with our resident heartbreaker.

However, I was sober enough that morning not to go into his office with fucking guns a blazing. After sending a message to the boss that Claire was taking a 'personal day,' I just went about my business as usual. The clicking of the keys faded into the background along with the ticking of the clock, but I was more aware of my surroundings than ever. I could still hear each of my coworkers as they passed me by in the hallway, and every so often I thought I could hear Claire sigh or laugh quietly to herself although I knew she wasn't _really_ there.

It was like my senses were on high alert which made it even more frustrating not to hear Kai's all too familiar banter. I don't think he had bothered to see Denny at all that day which was odd being that the mailroom was right by my office, and the fact that it was highly unusual for him not to be there at least once during working hours. It actually made me wonder if he was even here to begin with.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was almost ready to just give up completely, and I was starting to think I'd have to wait until tomorrow to teach him a thing or two about how to treat a lady. However, I was apparently in luck since I happened to catch a glimpse of him on his way into Claire's office. I followed him closely in absolute silence, an unfamiliar smirk crossing my features while I did so, as he stood there scratching his head in confusion, but it was hard not to chuckle to see him jump when I laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Looking for someone?" I asked through gritted teeth as I forced a smile. I was certain it was more of a grimace, though, and given the way in which he flinched, I knew I was probably right. However, I took some sick pride in knowing that I made him uncomfortable. "If you're trying to find Claire... she's still at my place, you know."

"Oh?" he replied calmly. "At least that explains why she wasn't home last night when I dropped by." Then he had the nerve to smile and give me a slight nod before attempting to head out the door, but I beat him to it.

"Going somewhere?" I challenged darkly, narrowing my eyes dangerously at him. Kai paled slightly, yet soon enough that confident grin of his returned as he chuckled to himself. _Cocky son of a bitch..._ "Have you ever had a woman call you in the middle of night when she's been crying?" I asked thoughtfully while taking a deliberate step towards him. Being the spineless coward that he was, the bastard merely took a hesitant step back towards the wall, but I only continued to advance towards him which put him even further into a rather tight spot. "It's a horrible experience, let me tell you... especially when she tells you what, or rather _who,_ made her cry like that in the first place.

Just at that moment, Kai stumbled into the wall, but I was kind enough to pick him back up... by the collar of his shirt, of course.

Instead of keeping him steady on his feet, though, I slammed him right into the wall, and I was satisfied to hear the wind get knocked clear out of him when I managed to do so. However, he still had enough in him to croak out, "And what do _you_ know about it anyway?"

"Not much except that you went and fucked around with someone else, and now she's blaming _herself_ just because you can't be happy with one beautiful girl in your bed, you bastard," I snarled through gritted teeth. "What the hell gives you the right to play around with her like that?" I snapped, glaring right through him. He narrowed his dark eyes as he wretched my hands away from his throat, but before I could even to block him, he made a sudden swing at my face and nailed me in the eye. However, he wasn't exactly planning on me to make a swift crack at his nose, the blood of which more than made up for the bruise that had begun to form over my own features if you asked me.

"You act tough, but you don't have any idea what Claire's _really_ going through... _do you?"_ Kai muttered behind his hand as he tried to stop the bleeding. "And just for the record," he continued, pulling his hand any to reveal the blood streaming down his face and into his mouth, "I didn't do a damn thing with that other woman."

"Doesn't matter to me as long as _she_ thinks you did," I growled, standing upright and popping my knuckles. He only kept a steady gaze as we stared each other down for a moment, but soon enough it faltered, becoming soft again. It was almost as if he was pitying me, and I felt my fists clench upon realizing it. "What's _that_ look for... Got something to tell me?" He smiled knowingly at me, but he simply pulled the bandanna off his head and tried to clean his face up a bit instead of offering me a reply. "Answer me, you son of a bitch."

"Haven't you ever noticed how Claire eats?" Kai asked gently, gazing down at the soiled cloth in his hand. I only raised an eyebrow which was only answered by a chuckle on his part. "You really don't know a damn thing about her, do you, Gray? A woman shouldn't eat like that, and even though we both know it... it seems like you don't know exactly what's so wrong about it." Although I wouldn't admit it to the likes of him, I felt my body bristle to realize that it wasn't just me thinking that she didn't eat nearly enough. Still, that couldn't mean she was... or could it? As if he knew what I was thinking at that very moment, he nodded slowly and sighed. "She's anorexic, Gray... Recovering, but it'll always be a struggle for her."

"Shut the fuck up," I muttered, grabbing him by the collar once again. He didn't flinch this time, though, since he apparently had expected that his feet wouldn't stay on the ground for long during this little encounter. "If you think I didn't have that figured out already, then you're more of a dumb ass than I first thought." Of course, I'd only ever suspected it, but now that he'd gone and said it... I couldn't exactly convince myself that it was only in my imagination any longer. "The only question is... how long have _you_ known, you mother fucker?"

"Well, that's a new one," Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "You've called me a bastard, a son of a bitch, and an asshole, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time you've-"

I cut him off there by slamming him back into the wall, and I tightened my grip unforgivably around his scrawny neck. "Quit trying to shit me, Kai!" I barked. "Tell me how some jack ass like you found that out! Was it after the first time you abandoned her?" He winced in pain, but he only seethed as he kneed me in the gut. Of course I dropped him while I nursed my new bruise. It was also around then that I noticed my eye had all but swelled shut, but there was no doing anything about it at the moment. "You..." I coughed as he stood over me while supporting myself on the corner of Claire's desk. "You ran off as soon as you found out, didn't you?"

"That's not how it was," he insisted. "It's true that I panicked when I found out, but I didn't mean to leave her. You gotta under-" However, he didn't get to finish since I slammed my fist right into his trap as soon as he told me what little he had. I felt one of his teeth cut into my knuckle, but I only regretted not breaking any of them. The blood immediately dribbled down his chin, and onto my fist. I'll admit he'd done quite a bit of damage to me, but I was only grateful that I still knew more than he did about landing a solid punch.

Even so, it seemed he wasn't ready to let me have the last swing just yet, and he tried to come at me once more with a raised fist aimed right for my head. However, before it could make contact with my face, he was suddenly jerked back by something... or rather _someone_. I've got to admit, though, I hadn't expected to see the man looming over the two of us with my opponent dangling in his grasp.

After all, Vaughn was a workaholic, but he never was one to miss out on lunch without a damn good reason to.

"Makani..." he deadpanned, holding the man straight up in midair. "Don't you think it's time you start picking your fights a little more carefully?" Kai's eyes only widened as he shrank back into himself, but he said nothing which probably had more to do with the fact that his mouth had been reduced to a bloody mess than anything else. "As for you, Smith," Vaughn continued, turning his purple gaze to me, "I suggest you get our ass out of here before Grace gets back." When I glanced over at Kai, he simply sighed and said, "I'll just let Makani here explain things to her since those two seem to get along so well." The other just paled.

"Thanks," I replied gruffly on my way past the two of them and out the door. "Just... tell me something first." He glanced over at me as I paused in the doorway, but he didn't say anything while he waited. "Why do you give a shit about any of this?" I asked as I looked over towards him.

Vaughn glared at me for a moment, but then he closed his eyes and sighed heavily in defeat. However, he did give me an answer although I hadn't really expected the one I got.

"Because I just so happen to have a little girl of my own," he explained calmly, dropping Kai promptly on the floor and giving him a swift kick to the ribs. "And if she was jerked around by some piece of shit like him, I'd want the exact same god damn thing done to him." I simply nodded even though a part of me regretted the fact that there was now going to be blood on the carpeting in Claire's office.... and that thought also happened to bring up another issue which I hadn't exactly considered until that very moment.

Just how the hell was I going to explain this all to the little woman I had back at home?

--

**Author's Note:** Sorry that this chapter took longer than expected (once again), but I think it's worth it because I'm actually _happy_ with this one! A shocker, I know. My only problem is that I feel like I was too blunt about Claire's condition, but I wasn't sure if it was obvious enough at this point since only one person mentioned it. -.-

I gotta say, though, that my favorite aspect is the contrast between the warm and fluffy moments with Claire and the confrontation with Kai. Of course, that might just be the artist in me, too...


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

"Table for one today, hun?"

Although I knew the woman probably meant well, I still scowled to have her speak so informally to me, especially considering we were just about the same age. However, the blonde didn't seem to notice my immediate distain for her, or maybe it was just that she'd been smiling like that for too many years and forgotten how to stop. "Actually," I corrected her, "I have someone coming to meet me here in a bit." She nodded and immediately headed for a booth tucked in the back as if I was some teenage girl waiting for her damn date to show up. "Just get me a coffee to start off with, I guess..." I instructed her as I slipped into my seat, sinking down a couple inches doing so.

"Sure thing," she agreed before leaving the menus on the table. However, when she walked away, I found that I couldn't help wondering if uniform of hers get any fucking shorter. She might have had a ring on her finger, but by the look of her, she was still open for business.

No wonder the boys liked coming to the place every day.

I flicked open my lighter and lit up as I furrowed my brow in thought. It'd been one hell of a week from the get go, and it was a blessing that inspections had already been taken care of before the shit decided to hit the fan. If Vaughn hadn't come back from lunch early to finish up what he'd referred to only as 'personal business,' I was pretty damn sure I'd have to start looking for a new salesman. Although Elli had suggested something along the lines of sending Smith to anger management, I'd been quick to argue that then we'd _all_ have to go, but the real reason was that I knew Kai had it coming to him from the start.

After all, you just can't keep going for one flame after another and think you won't get burned eventually.

"I see you're still killing yourself slowly with those cancer sticks of yours," a smooth, familiar voice scolded me as I snuffed my first cigarette of the morning. I glanced up with a knowing smile to see a rather tall man standing over me with a solemn expression on his face, but as usual, he didn't look all that impressed by the sight of the likes of me. "You really should quit, you know... I'd like to have my friend to grow old with."

"Thanks, Doc, but I'm gonna at least enjoy what time I have left instead of pissing it away on some health kick," I scoffed which caused him to frown. "Now just sit your ass down and order up. Bill's on me this time."

"Please don't refer to me in that manner, Grace," he pleaded with a heavy sigh. He really was such a modest man during moments like this, but I guess I shouldn't have touched on that sensitive of a subject since it was still weighing heavily on his mind. However, it was always something of a challenge to find any topic that he wouldn't over think... Even in our younger days, he was just so damn serious which made it rather peculiar that we'd actually bothered to get to know one another to the point of friendship. As he once put it, though, wonders never cease.

My gaze settled on my companion as he sat down in the seat across from me, yet I found he hadn't changed much, if at all, from those days we spent together all those years ago. From his dark hair and eyes to the crisp white shirt and black tie, he was the exact same individual I'd known in my twenties, and I had a feeling that his personality hadn't changed much, either. Although he'd offered me a glimpse of his dry sense of humor this morning, I also knew better than to assume it'd stick around long.

Knowing him, he'd return to his stoic self soon enough.

"Oh come on, Trent, it's not like it matters to me whether you finished your doctorate or not," I chuckled, blowing smoke in his face with a smirk. He waved it away with distaste, but I could still see the faint smile he was wearing.

"Well, at least things seem to be going well enough for you," he replied with a sigh. "I knew you were stressing about the board, but I'm guessing it went through alright."

"Yeah..." I agreed with a shrug as the waitress _finally_ brought my coffee over. How could she have taken so long when the two of us were the only ones even in the damn place? "My crew can put on a good enough show when they have their asses on the line, but after all's said an' done, they're worthless pieces of shit." After taking a large swig of the dark, bitter liquid, I slammed my mug back down on the table. "Just a word of advice for when _you_ get your staff together, though..." I warned, pointing my long finger in the man's direction. "Don't... under any circumstances.... allow your employees to fuck around with each other."

At first his face flushed slightly, but then I heard a rare chuckle rise up from deep inside his chest. "Seems like you still have quite the mouth on you, Grace," he teased before giving his menu back to the waitress. "Thank you, but I won't be having anything."

"Trent, order something," I demanded, glaring across the table at him. "You treated me the last time, and I'm already ticked that you wouldn't let me take you somewhere nice." I caught the woman shoot me a nasty look, but I really didn't give a rat's ass since a damn diner wasn't exactly 'high class' for an individual of my status. "You take me to a five star restaurant for a night, and then you just want me to take you out for a breakfast you're not even going to bother eating? I took off this morning just for _you,_ I'll have you know."

"Fair enough..." my companion agreed with a chuckle. "I'll just have what you're having then," he mused, offering me a knowing smile. However, I felt my face flush slightly since I hadn't planned on eating myself, being as I wasn't a breakfast person to begin with, but... "Let me guess, you're not hungry, either," he continued to tease. When I didn't reply at first, he only laughed quietly to himself in his usual way. "Well then, I suggest we reschedule for another time... although you really should eat first thing in the morning, you know."

"So you remember that about me, huh?" I asked doubtfully, standing to leave. However, when I glanced back towards him on my way over to the register, I scowled to find that my old friend was already busy paying the waitress. He looked so innocent, but I'd still seen him hand her a tip as well which was funny considering he was just the right height to look down her uniform at that very moment. "Enjoying the view back there, I see," I growled irritably once he joined me again at the front door. Although I had kept my voice as low and threatening as possible, being the man that he was, Trent paid no attention to me or my disapproving glare.

"Hardly," he assured me cooly. "Since when does the almighty Grace Hart get jealous anyway?" he chuckled with an unusually mischievous glint in his eye.

"It's not jealousy," I insisted just as my face began to warm. "You know I can't stand women like that..." My companion smiled softly, but I knew better than to assume he was being kind by any means since he was giving off that all-knowing air of his. "There's no fucking way I could ever give a shit about any of 'em..."

"Do you hate yourself then?" he countered in a gentle, understanding tone. I just glared at him which, of course, went unnoticed as always. "You've always been so closed off from people, Grace," he pressed on, resting against the side of his car. "Even when we were in school together, you wanted very much to do with anyone including myself." I stayed quiet although I still felt my palms begin to sweat, and my teeth instinctively gritted against one another. He might've been an old friend of mine, but I knew he could be rather tactless while dolling out advice. "I know the only reason you talked to me at all in the beginning was because you knew I'd be an advantage for you anyway."

"You also probably know how much I hate it when you talk like that," I muttered crossly as my face flustered all the more. However, I had to admit he still knew me almost better than I did since it was most likely true that I'd taken advantage of our friendship from the start. After all, he was better at biology and all the other seemingly unnecessary science courses that I had to pass for whatever reason, and although I'd never tell him as much, he had the best way of explaining such things to me. He was also incredibly patient which was a blessing in itself with someone as stubborn as me for a pupil. "Maybe that's how we got to know each other, but I wouldn't be talking to you _now_ if that was the only reason I wanted to hang out with you," I reminded him.

"That's true enough, I suppose, Trent agreed with a weak chuckle. "You certainly are a brilliant woman, though... which is why you shouldn't spend so much of your time on your own," he said quietly, resting a firm hand on my shoulder. "I speak from experience when I say this, Grace... but please, if nothing else, promise me you won't live your life alone." I may have thanked him for the advice, but I couldn't help thinking he was being absolutely ridiculous.

After all, unlike most people, I preferred being on my own.

--

"You know, Elli," I mused, standing over her as she busied herself with sorting out the files in her desk. "I once had the biggest crush on that man." She paused for a moment to gaze up at me, but soon enough she returned to her task. "He was always so serious about school, but I liked to party every now and then. Hell, if I didn't have to worry about my scholarships, I sure as hell wouldn't have been so worried about keeping my grades up." I paused for a moment and then chuckled. "Of course, he wouldn't have stuck around me if that had been the case...."

"Maybe you should thank him for that sometime," my assistance replied with a sweet smile and a slight giggle. "Might I say, though, that you seem to be drawn towards the more reliable type, Ms. Hart."

"Elli, this has nothing to do with my dating life," I huffed in embarrassment. "Besides, Trent and Vaughn couldn't be any more different," I argued, but even I had to admit she had a point. However... I'd been with other men who were more like Kai before although it was more than obvious that those relationships had a habit of leaving me dead in the water for the most part. "When is Makani scheduled for those classes of his?" I asked thoughtfully, inspecting a few of the folders she had resting off to the side.

"Classes begin on Thursday," she explained without much hesitation as if she's taken the time to memorize the date. Knowing how much she seemed to despise the man, I wouldn't be surprised if that was indeed the case, but still... "He'll be on leave for both Thursday and Friday, and the course continues until Sunday afternoon," she continued. I nodded in understanding, but there was something of a knot in my chest to realize that he'd be spending the whole week in what had to be hell on earth. Even though I knew he had it coming, I still felt that Kai might've already gotten that at the hands of another, and now I was seriously considering if maybe I'd gone too far with this whole sensitivity training thing. "Ms. Hart? Is there something the matter?"

"Nothing, Elli. Just... nothing," I sighed heavily. However, I couldn't keep myself from seriously considering letting the man off, and maybe I would've if I wasn't so damn prideful. The last thing I needed was the people here saying I'd gone soft all because of an old flame of mine. It wasn't like I'd forgotten the other day, either. Regardless, my feet still led me down towards the man's office, but I still stopped dead in my tracks once I got there.

What was I doing? I was standing there, actually making a move to _comfort_ the man, when he'd been such an ass to not only me, but the young woman just down the hall as well. I didn't have the whole story, yet I was damn sure that Smith wouldn't just lose his temper for no reason. After all, just because he was undeniably irritable most of the time, it didn't mean he was prone to fly off the handle beyond cursing the hell out of someone. Without even having to heard or seen anything of the exchange between the two men, I was certain Kai had said something pretty low to set him off to the point of letting his fist fly right into the other's face.

There simply was no other explanation.

Still, I was already there, and while I'd seen how the man looked dangling from Vaughn's tight grip, I was somewhat curious as to what he looked like after he was cleaned up. I tapped on the wall to get his attention, but I couldn't hide my shock to see him in such a state once he lifted his head up from his work.

Kai's bottom lip was in better condition than when I first saw it with all that blood dibbling out of his mouth. However, it had clearly swelled, and now it was a damn ugly shade of purple after a night of what I hoped to be healing. It was also split almost right down the middle, and I had to wonder if he could even talk well enough to make a phone call with something as painful as that. As for his nose... it wasn't broken, according to Vaughn anyway, but it was damn close in my opinion. By the white gauze he had stretched over the bridge of it, I could only guess that Gray's knuckles had managed to break the skin at the very least while the rest of it was nothing more than an indistinguishable mass of broken blood vessels.

I cringed just to imagine what it must've felt like when it happened... let alone once the adrenaline had worn off.

Kai didn't seem to notice my moment of horror, though, since he only offered me a smile upon seeing me. "Well, if it isn't Grace," he greeted me with a good natured laugh. Usually I would've corrected him for addressing me as such, but seeing as he looked so damn pitiful, I just couldn't bring myself to lecture him over something as insignificant as using my given name. It was that very thing that he seemed to become aware of how wide my eyes had become at the mere sight of him, and he assured me with a casual wave of the hand that everything was perfectly fine as far as he was concerned.

"Don't worry about me," he scoffed with a faint chuckle. "I just lost my temper and said a few things I shouldn't have is all."

"He got you pretty damn good, though, didn't he?" I replied, forcing myself to laugh in the hopes of easing my own guilt. The man's face flushed slightly and glanced away in shame, but he didn't say anything for a time which just wasn't like him at all. "Listen..." I began again. "I really don't want to send you out tomorrow... especially looking like _that..._ but I can't let you off even with all things considered." While it had been hard for me to say to him, Kai just smiled in understanding as if he'd already accepted his fate long before.

"It's not like I don't deserve any of this," he murmured while resting his hand on his open palm. His brown eyes glazed over in thought, and for a moment, I was sure I saw regret lingering his warm, wistful gaze. However, it soon vanished when he revealed a grin, its brilliance slightly lost by his condition. "I know I can be a shit head about these things," he laughed.

"Then why the hell don't you try quit being such an ass for once?" I challenged although I did so half-heartedly. He shrugged in indifference, but he couldn't hide how flushed his face had become. "You're not going to keep very many friends around here if you don't learn how to handle that sexual overdrive of yours," I scolded him. After a brief moment of silence, though, he threw back his head and laughed, and it was surprisingly hard not to join him. Even with all this shit going on around because of him and his womanizing ways, he could still find the humor in the situation.

When _was_ the last time, if ever, that I'd laughed like that at my own expense?

"Can't argue with that kind of logic," Kai agreed with a tear in his eye. "I've got to admit I was getting a little carried away there for a while..." he sighed, his voice filled with regret. I thought his gaze misted over for a moment as he said it, too, but since it was gone in the next instant, I had to wonder if it had been there at all.

"You really must've done something to Miss Muller for you and Smith to be acting like this," I remarked casually, but glancing in his direction, I saw him flinch despite my gentle tone. "What'd you do..." I asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow. Although he looked away from me, he ultimately closed his eyes and fell back into his chair, and right then, I realized what a defeated man he'd become over the course of a few weeks. I don't think I'd ever seem him so beyond his years... Even without his face being beat to hell, I was sure his brown eyes would be just as dead and faded as they were right then regardless of whether he wore such injures or not, and that only made me all the more curious as to what could've happened. "Mr. Makani, answer me."

"I just..." he began before heaving another weary sigh. "I said some shit... that shouldn't have been said to anyone is all," he replied, closing his eyes slowly and resting further back in his chair. However, I knew he was just repeating himself from a previous question, and I felt my entire body stiffen in frustration to realize it. When he saw I was narrowing my eyes at him in annoyance, though, he began talking just a little bit more. "It started because I went somewhere I shouldn't have gone," he explained further. "I hadn't planned on her finding out about it, but-"

"And that's exactly where you went wrong, Kai," I snapped, cutting him off. He blinked in surprise, but I only sighed in aggravation. Although I wasn't necessarily angry with him, I could see how the whole mess had begun, and there was no doubt that he really was the one to blame. Then, taking a deep breath, I chose to go on. "I'll only say this _once_, so you'd better not forget it... _Don't_ fuck around with a girl's heart and expect to be forgiven by a few sweet words especially when words are the very thing that hurt her in the first place," I warned through gritted teeth. "Even if you don't think you've done a damn thing wrong, you need to be honest with her about what you _did_ do, or that girl, _whoever_ she might be, is gonna leave your ass for someone else."

He was unusually quiet as I headed for the open doorway, but I only had to glance over my shoulder to realize that I might as well have shot the man. Kai's head was resting in his hands, and although I didn't stick around long enough to hear him, I was sure he was choking back on a few tears of his own for what he'd lost. Of course, I knew it wouldn't be enough to pay back for whatever he'd done to that poor girl the next office over, yet I still felt as though I'd done _something_ for the next woman to find herself in his god damn bed. Or hell... maybe in his arms although I had a feeling that even if such a thing would happen it'd just be to get to the former.

There wasn't a single word exchanged between Elli and I before I headed straight into my office and closed the door behind me. What I'd seen and heard in the past week was more than enough to remind me why I chose to remain alone for all this time. Even though I hated going home and knowing that no one would be there to great me, it had to be better than dealing with anyone else's shit, especially given that I had more than enough of my own. I was more than happen to keep my life the way it was because, as far as I could tell, other people never did anything but fuck things up...

Especially for those who needed them most.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Author's Note:** Just to clarify, the Lukas mentioned in this chapter is from RF_,_ not ToT.

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Mr. Makani? Is there something wrong? You've been fidgeting all morning..."

"Ah, no, there's nothing wrong," I replied quietly, slouching back in my chair. _Except that my butt went numb about an hour ago, but you know, I really don't mind all that much._ However, despite my mental commentary, I still settled my foot back on the floor, but soon enough it began to bounce again as the conversation started up once more. I really couldn't help it, though, since I'd been sitting there for the greater part of two and a half hours, and I was growing more restless with the whole situation and even more disgusted with the other men who'd been 'asked' to come here for this group therapy session. I just figured that if tapping my foot kept me from lashing out at anyone, it was a fair enough trade.

Our instructor eyed me curiously as she brushed back her magenta-colored hair, but her amber gaze finally returned to the other man who'd been speaking this whole time. There was only three of us taking this damn course together, and yet he'd managed to out talk us all so far. I wasn't sure_ what_ he'd been talking about all this time since he tended to say a lot about absolutely nothing. She still let him keep going, though, which I just couldn't understand, but who was I to say anything about it when I usually couldn't shut up myself?

"Go on, Lukas," she urged him. "You were saying?"

"Thank you, Lara. It's nice to know I'm finally being heard by someone," he continued with a faint chuckle. As I'd done so many times before, he'd offered her a rather charming smile, and although she tried to hide it, I could tell from the faint blush that she'd fallen for it. Poor girl had apparently forgotten everything he'd said during today's session since he'd only just been bragging about just how he'd finally persuaded his editor to give him a story of his own for the front page. Now he had every right to be ambitious, but what I had a problem with was how he got there.

I had to admire his poor planning strategy, of course. After all, he'd decided to work his way through his boss's secretary to get to the head woman herself which, I'll admit, would seem like a good idea at first. However, he didn't take into account the fact that women have a habit of talking to one another at some point or other, and that was what brought him here most likely. Just because a girl will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about another, she'll still be able to find out how you played her in the end if you're not careful. Unfortunately, he hadn't figured that out although no one else had brought it to his attention, either.

What really bothered me the most about the whole situation was that I was probably the only one who knew the _real_ reason I was here. I didn't have any illusions about what I'd done because I'd had more than enough wake up calls in the past month to rattle my brain around a bit and clear up any confusion I might've had. I overstepped a lot of boundaries just for the sake of a few, cheap thrills, and now I was stuck in a room with two other guys and a woman who had absolutely no idea that they were only fooling themselves into thinking it was the rest of the world's fault that we were sitting in a circle with our fingers crammed in our ears.

Not to mention that the only bad decisions were the ones that I'd made myself.

"Kai, what your take on all of this?" the woman asked quietly as I faded back into the conversation. I only narrowed my eyes at the man sitting across from me, and I realized that he seemed to be rather young although it might've just been his sandy blonde hair and dark blue eyes that made me think of him as such. "You seem to have been thinking carefully about the matter, so maybe you would like to offer us some insight?"

"So you'd like to hear me out for once?" I sighed with a weak smile. She simply nodded encouragingly for me to continue, but I had feeling she wouldn't be so eager after she got a piece of my mind about the situation he was in. After all, it probably didn't go along with whatever she'd read in those books of hers, and I was pretty sure of that since Claire used to read the exact same ones once upon a time. "Well... first off I don't like this little plan of yours." Both the instructor and her golden boy raised an eyebrow which just annoyed me further. I mean... how could they not see that that's exactly what had gone on? Did both of them just ignore his whole story? "You can't just work your way to the top by hitching up a couple of skirts, you know."

"Mr. Makani, that language is-"

"I know what it is," I replied cooly, "but sometimes you aren't suppose to make things sound all nice and pretty." She shrunk back into her seat to hear me put it so plainly, but I didn't pay any attention since I was too busy glaring at the man sitting next to her. "Like _I_ was saying, women aren't just a means to your own damn ends."

"Aren't you here because you were trying to get with your boss?" she countered smoothly. "If you ask me... that just makes you the hypocrite here."

"You're wrong," I muttered darkly. "I might have been trying to pick her up for the night, but I wasn't going to gain anything from something like that. Just remember all those _other_ times I'd been with her," I reminded him with an irritated growl. Although I knew Grace was probably thinking the exact same thing he was, I also knew that neither explanation was the right one. While I might've told them as much, it was only because they wouldn't believe the real reason I'd done it, and there was no point in trying to say what they weren't interested in hearing. Give 'em what they want... because it's the path of least resistance. My mouth had gotten me in more than enough trouble without insulting these people as well. "I just wanted to have some fun with an old friend of mine is all."

"Did you ever consider _her_ feelings, though, Kai?" Lara scolded me gently. "After all, she told you to stop, and you still persisted." _And stop means stop_, I added dully in my mind, reciting a lecture from my younger days. "A woman deserves respect just as any man does."

That was the point where I just couldn't take any of the bull shit anymore. It wasn't like I didn't accept what she was said or anything, but it was the way she said as if it was completely beyond me and the others to ever understand that got to me. That condescending tone of hers, filled with pity for the three of us, was more than enough to threaten to push me off of the edge, and I couldn't shake the impression it left me. Just where was the _respect_ in that?

However, I'd said more than my fair share already, and that was why I picked myself up off my folding chair without a single word to anyone in that room. Even though it almost never showed itself, I still had a temper just like any other. I wasn't the kind of man to throw his fists around, of course, but if it came down to it, I had something of a wicked tongue. Usually I ended up saying the worst possible things during those situations, and by the time I realized it... it was always too late to take an of it back or even try to explain myself.

"Looks like someone's having a pissy day, too," a voice chuckled just as I stepped outside. I immediately went to shoot a glare over to where it had come from, but it took me a minute to realize that whoever it was was sitting beside me. "Need a smoke?" the man offered, grinning up at me as he went to hand me one.

"No, that's alright," I assured him with a faint smile. "I don't smoke these days."

"And neither do I. Never did," he replied with a nod. I raised a eyebrow curiously, but he only laughed which caused his blonde hair to fall into his deep, brown eyes. "I just carry 'em with me in case someone else does," he explained. "Especially when they're looking like you, man." Then, with another laugh, he asked, "So I guess you're skipping out on this, too, huh?"

"Just for today," I assured him, smiling a little myself. "What're you in for?" I teased as I leaned back against the wall just outside the building I'd come out of. Oddly enough, I felt I really would've looked the part of a delinquent if I'd actually taken that cigarette he'd offered me. After all, it wasn't as if I hadn't been one in the past... so it might even make me feel a little nostalgic for the days when the only thing I had to worry about when it came to girls was knocking one of them up.

"Cheating," he explained with an indifferent shrug. "My girlfriend wanted me to come here after she caught me with someone else." He seemed to think on this for a moment longer as he closed his eyes in wistful thought, and he stayed like that for so long that I wondered if he'd fallen asleep. However, just when I rightened myself to leave, he stirred once again with a yawn. "It was just a joke, though... me kissing that other girl an' all."

_And it was just for fun... going to that strip club an' all_ I echoed although I knew it was more than just that. I went there because I couldn't be satisfied with what I had, and that's where I'd messed the whole thing up so damn royally. It shouldn't have been about me at all, though. I was only running away from the very girl I should've been helping instead of worrying about my own struggle with trying to do that for her. She needed someone... and yet I'd let her down by not even _trying_ to do anything at all. I guess it wasn't too surprising when I thought about it now.

Hell... I didn't even know how to help _myself_, let alone someone else.

"Excuse me, gentleman, but... aren't you both supposed to be in your group sessions right about now?" We both jumped as we turned our attention towards the woman who was standing just outside the doors and wearing a bright smile to see us there. Despite her welcoming expression, though, I still felt a shiver run down my spine, and my companion must've noticed this as well since he stood up as soon as she scolded the two of us. Of course, I was pretty sure that anyone would be more than willing to listen to her if they were under the gaze of those peculiar red eyes of hers. Not to say her pink curls weren't a little strange as well.

"We were just about to head back... weren't we, buddy?" he chuckled, offering her a cheeky grin in return. However, I wasn't about to turn around and go back with my tail tucked between my legs just because someone told me to, but she didn't look surprised to see me still standing stubbornly against the wall even after he'd gone and left me behind.

"You know, some people feel more like talking when they go for a walk," the woman suggested, her smile never wavering. "What do you say we give it a go, huh?"

"Not like I have anything better to do," I agreed with a reluctant sigh. She giggled then, her laughter like that of a little girl, but I couldn't tell if she was pretending or not. "Besides, I'm probably not going to pass this whole 'sensitivity training' thing anyway after ditching like that..." I muttered darkly, my eyes clouding over with frustration. Something told me that I'd be fired by Monday, too, once Grace caught wind of it.

"If you tell me who your instructor is, I could always put in a good word for you," she offered, resting her hand gently on my shoulder. "Of course, it'd help if I knew your name as well."

"Kai Makani," I replied, briefly glancing her way. To be perfectly honest, she really was a lot like Claire appearance wise since she both was incredibly short and unreasonably pale, and she seemed to be just as optimistic as, if not more so than, the other woman I had on my mind. I was also convinced that both women owned the exact same light green top although this one had decided to wear a long skirt with it instead of a mini or a pair of well ironed slacks. However, those similarities just made it harder to keep from going off on her which made me all the more tense and rigid. She didn't seem to notice anything was out of the ordinary, though.

"Oh, you're from Lara's group then," she mused thoughtfully. "I'm actually really surprised she didn't come after you herself... She's always been so strict with her groups before." Then she shook her head in disbelief and said, "I wonder what's gotten into her?"

"Probably just the fact that some guy's trying to sweet talk her for once," I sighed. She turned her head and blinked at me in confusion, but I only waved her off. "It's nothing," I assured her. "She's definitely not the _first_ girl to fall for something like that, I'm sure. He's just good at what he does..."

"And you're not?" she asked doubtfully with a hint of amusement in her voice. "If you ask me, you seem like you could be quite the charmer yourself."

"Right... and just look where it's gotten me," I grumbled as I jammed my fists deep into my pockets. "Now I'm stuck here, listening to a bunch of bull shit I already know, so I won't lose my job... All because I pushed a little too god damn far!" I snapped before lowering my voice again. "If I knew it bothered her so bad, I wouldn't have done anything in the first place..."

"But that's not what's _really_ bothering you, is it?" I looked at the woman skeptically with a raised brow since she didn't seem to be the kind of girl who could read anyone that easily. Maybe I just felt that way because of that bubble gum hair of hers, but she still couldn't have that much insight when it came to other people. Her eyes were too wide and innocent... not to mention she didn't even know me other than my name. However, her gaze was so intense as it fell on me that I was already beginning to wonder if I could be wrong about her. "That's only the reason why you're here," she explained. "I want to know what's the actual problem here."

"The problem?" I echoed. "You want to know what the problem is... The problem is that these people aren't telling me what I _want_ to know," I growled while trying my best to keep my voice down.

"And what is that?" the woman pressed gently. Honestly... I knew she was only trying to be helpful, but she was starting to irritate me now. After all, it wasn't something I wanted to talked through, especially with someone I knew absolutely _nothing_ about. Why was she so interested anyway? Was she doing whatever it was she was supposed to do around this place, or did she have some other unknown reason for trying to figure out just what was eating at me?

"Like... how the hell are you suppose to keep a relationship together when you don't even talk about _anything_ that really matters?" I began, stopping abruptly in the middle of the parking lot. "There's no class you can take for that," I muttered. "I don't really understand what I did wrong... but I know it had nothing to do with the strip club. It started long before that..." The woman's head snapped to face me, but since I didn't really care what she thought of me at that point, I kept on going. Besides, she was the one who wanted to know about my problems in the first place. "It's like I couldn't be around her anymore! I didn't even know what to say most of the time, and I wasn't sure if I should even _touch_ her. It was like I was trying to get _away_ from her..."

As soon as I said it, I felt my heart drop. Because no matter how often I felt it, I'd never let myself put it into words. After all, I knew it wasn't Claire's fault. She didn't just wake up one morning and decide she hated everything about herself. The problem clearly wasn't her; it was me which only frustrated me until... well... everything happened.

"How about someone tell me the right way to deal with a girl who can't even see how _great_ she is?" I continued. "How do you convince her it's _okay_ to eat when you know how much it hurst for her to even swallow that first bite?"

It's not like I could force her to... and I could never ask her to do it for _my_ sake because that was just another way for me to be more selfish than I already was. It was a decision she had to make. However, even though that's what she told me the whole time we were together, I still couldn't help feeling there had to be _something_ I could do to help her. Maybe that's why I was so against Gray being with her now. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to be bothered by any of her countless issues even before I had that little tussle with him back at work. I wasn't mad because he couldn't help her with the things I was afraid of. That was for sure.

"Doesn't it ever get to him, though?" I asked the woman standing next to me. "I mean... when she eats a salad every day for lunch, does he ever wonder if it's his fault she's like that? Like maybe he didn't tell her she was beautiful, cute, or whatever it is that she thinks she isn't. I-"

"Kai, I don't want to stop you... but I want you to know that I don't think you did anything wrong," my companion assured me. I glanced curiously in her direction, but she only offered me a gentle smile. "I'll admit that a trip to a strip club probably wasn't the best thing for you to do, especially since it seems this poor girl has some concerns about her own image, but I can tell you've figured that much out for yourself." I felt my chest tighten slightly since she'd pretty much hit the nail on the head with that keen observation of hers, but I didn't say anything right then. I was really too numb to at that point anyway.

"These things aren't easy for anyone to understand, I don't think," she agreed with a soft sigh. "It still would've been better for you two to try and talk through both of your troubles, though... but even then, there still would've been a chance that things wouldn't have worked out between you." I nodded because I had to admit that probably would've been the case, yet it didn't really help me any.

If anything, it only made me feel worse about the situation.

"Do you think I should just let her go then?" I asked quietly, staring at the pavement. "I though I had it all figured out, but..." I sighed and shook my head. "When you fuck up the second time, there's really no going back, is there?"

"Probably not," she admitted which was just another nail in the coffin of my previous relationship. "I still don't see any problem with being close to her in other ways, though," she continued. "After all, there's nothing stopping you from staying good friends unless she makes it clear otherwise," she offered kindly, her voice ringing with some sense of hope for me.

"Yeah right, not if _he_ has anything to say about it," I chuckled. Just the thought of Gray ever letting me near the young woman again was chasing a pipe dream since he'd made it more than blatantly clear he wanted me as far away as possible from her, but I still appreciated the other's encouragement all the same.

"Oh? So she's already moved on then?" the other mused with a smile. "That's good then..." At first, I only sighed, but after a moment, I at least gave her a shrug and a slight smile in reply. I knew it couldn't be _all_ about me, and she had a good point as well. As soon as the man finally got around to stop drinking once and for all, the two might actually make a nice pair... Even though it was the first time I'd bothered to think about it, I started to realize that there really might be a chance for them in the not so distant future. After four years of working side by side, it'd probably be the most obvious thing in the world for them to be in that kind of relationship.

Of course, knowing how clueless those two were about such things, someone might just have to give them a little push in the right direction...

"Maybe you should try and spend some time by yourself," the woman suggested, seemingly out of the blue. When I turned to stare at her in disbelief, her smile finally faltered some, and I could tell she was just as unsettled as I was though for very different reasons. "Haven't you ever been on your own before?" she asked doubtfully, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Not that I can remember," I confessed, my face warming just to say it. It was common knowledge that I always had a fall-back of some kind. Ex-girlfriends would usually tide me over until someone new happened to come along, but I didn't exactly have that option this time around. I'd snubbed Karen the last time she'd tried to come onto me, and although you wouldn't know it just by looking at her, she could still hold one hell of a grudge against a man for denying her. Eve and I hadn't spoken since she left me for that deadbeat of hers. Grace was the reason I'd ended up here in the first place, and Claire... Well, I really should've known that was doomed from the start when she told me she had an eating disorder on our first date just before the appetizers to our seven course meal showed up.

As for the others... those were so far in the past I couldn't even remember all their names by now.

"Then I think that's the perfect solution," she decided with a firm nod. "After all, you can't expect to understand someone else if you don't know who _you_ are," she reasoned which was something I had to agree with However, the trouble was that I wasn't so sure I wanted to get to know myself. If today was any indication, I wasn't exactly the kind of person I'd _want_ to know to begin with.

Just as I went to tell her as much, though, the woman took my hand, and before I could even ask her what it was all about, she gave me a small slip of paper. "Still, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be more than willing to listen," she offered, her eyes filled with sincerity. "But I really should be getting back now. Volunteers are still on the clock, you know!"

"Could you tell me your name before you go?" I asked, trying to earn back some of my dignity with a smile of my own. "I'd hate to take your advice without knowing at least that much from you," I added as a glimmer of my former charm showed through.

"Popuri," she replied after she flashed me one last brilliant smile. "And it was good meeting you, Mr. Makani."

With that, she disappeared inside, but I still had no intention of going back into that damn building. However, I did managed to bring myself to the front doors if only just to get one last good look at her. She was long gone by then, though, so all I saw was the endless hallways was the school which had been the chosen location for the torture sessions that were being held just inside. Sensitivity training, my ass... If anything, I was slightly more oblivious to the feelings of others than when I went in there, and I was pretty sure that the others hadn't gotten anything out of it, either.

Maybe that's why I was so relieved that Popuri had even bothered to talk to me in the first place although I had a feeling my problems weren't of that much concern to her. Not that they should be, of course, but it'd still be nice to know I hadn't wasted my breath on any of it. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that I wouldn't be needing that slip of paper she gave me since I knew it was a phone number, and that rarely ever led to anything good... especially as of late.

As I glanced down towards the pavement once more, I found the pack of cigarettes left by the man not too long ago, and I bent down to pick them up. I hadn't smoked in years, and yet the sight of them was oddly comforting at the moment when I felt I'd reached one of my lowest points. I didn't even give myself a chance to think about it before I brought one to my lips. "He even left me the lighter," I mused with a smile while I shook my head in amusement. I still hesitated to light it since I knew I was just looking for another way out, but by now that didn't seem to matter all that much. I was tired of dealing with things on my own, and if I couldn't have a girl to help me through the hard times, I might as well pick up something else to distract me for a while.

After all, there was going to be one hell of a lonely wait ahead on me until I got myself straightened out.

--

**Author's Note: **As for why so many of these characters smoke at one point or another, it's not just for appearances sake. Gray lights up when he's stressed while Grace usually does the same out of aggravation, and as will be shown in future chapters, Kai only has a cigarette when he's severely depressed. Vaughn's probably the only one who smokes simply for pleasure, and he and Grace are the two chain smokers in this series. Oddly enough, though, I _don't_ smoke. Never have. I just think it's adds something to the characters is all.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"Did they manage to whip you into shape then?" I asked quietly, setting a cup of coffee in front of my former friend. I say 'former' half-heartedly, of course, because we were still on relatively good terms for the most part. However, I knew that there was some remaining resentment between us which was to be expected, I guess. Kai didn't seem to mind any of that, though, as he sipped at his mug, but there was a distance in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. It wasn't exactly sadness, and yet... it wasn't like anything else I'd really ever seen before, either. Even if it appeared to be regret, I wasn't so convinced that that was the case, especially knowing him as well as I did.

After all, he couldn't have changed _that_ much over the course of four days.

"Not really," he admitted with a shrug. I went to roll my eyes, but then I happened to catch a glimpse of him rummaging around in his coat pocket for something which only caused me to raise an eyebrow instead. To my surprise, he produced a pack of cigarettes, the cheap kind, and it was all but impossible to mask my somewhat startled expression to see it. However, he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"That bad, huh?" I mumbled, nodding towards the cancer stick in his hand. He blinked at first as if he had no idea what I was talking about, but soon enough he just shook his head and chuckled to himself in amusement.

"I can't really say that," Kai replied. "It's not something I just picked up, though," he continued as he lit up and leaned back in his chair. "I used to smoke just for something to do, but... I gave it up for the most part after high school." He might've stopped there, but it was clear to me that there was more to this story than the fact he'd decided to start up again. However, even with my suspicions that it had something to do with a certain little blonde, I chose to let it go since there wasn't any point in discussing the matter. I was sure I'd done more than enough nosing around as far as we were _both_ concerned.

"So you're just one of those obnoxious people who can start and stop whenever you want then?" I mused as I sat down next to him at the kitchen table I'd situated over by the window. My companion barely offered a chuckle in reply, though, before he lapsed into silence once more. If nothing else, I was beginning to realize how unusual, not to mention unnerving, it was to have him so quiet, and I was actually toying with the thought that I might've preferred the old Kai instead.

"How are things going with that girlfriend of yours?" he teased with a reassuring smile while he tried to change the subject. My face heated up slightly to hear him mention the young mother, but in his casual way, he dismissed my embarrassment entirely as I turned my attention to my own cup of coffee. "I notice you've bought some more furniture anyway... Almost makes this place look livable," he joked with a knowing grin. "You even got yourself a bed frame although I doubt you'll be using it much, knowing you."

"Well, at least your sense of humor hasn't changed much," I groaned as I rolled my eyes. However, he was right about one thing since I'd finally decided to use some of my savings to try to make my place look presentable for the first time since I'd moved in. Sure, I'd bought it all at a few garage sales, but who the hell cares when I hadn't had a table from the day I left home. "I already told you I wasn't interested in any of that when it comes to her."

"Yes, I know," he agreed with a lazy smile. "Besides... I doubt a woman would be interested in a twin bed anyway."

"To be honest... I'm just surprised you don't have somebody else lined up already, Kai," I observed, studying his face for any sign that might prove me wrong. My friend's smile had vanished almost as soon as I'd said it which was curious enough, but when he went back to rummage through his pocket for his wallet, he threw a small piece of paper in front of me. I didn't even have to open it to know it had some girl's number written on it. What caught my attention, though, was the fact that the man was glaring at it as if he was waiting for it to ignite.

"Before you start in on me, I just want you to know I didn't ask for it," Kai assured me as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "She gave it to me and told me if I ever needed to talk to someone I should give her a call, but I'm pretty damn sure that's not how it's usually done at those things."

"Are you going to, though?" I asked, raising a brow. He bit his lip, which had healed considerably over the past week, but he stayed quiet for a time. Although he wasn't known to very often, I could tell he was seriously thinking it over, and that was more than enough to convince me that there'd been something of a drastic change in his character. To be honest, it was quite a shock since it was the last thing I would've expected to come from a guy like him.

"I don't plan on it," he said at last with a heavy sigh. "I just don't need any of that going on right now... that's all." I just blinked in disbelief, but he only glared at me when I did so. "What? You think I can't handle that kind of decision?" he challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"Kai, you haven't turned down calling a woman since the first time we met," I countered. "Other than if you were following that stupid three day rule."

"First off, that rule has never proven me or anyone else wrong," he insisted as he pointed his finger in my direction. "Anyway, that has nothing to do with this. The point is I just don't think I want to deal with a relationship right now with all this shit going on around me," my companion muttered, resting his chin in his hand. I only continued to stare at him, but I still managed to keep my dignity by not letting my jaw drop open like a fish. For some reason, though, the thought of time just...

"Wait, what time is it?" I asked suddenly, my head shooting up to take a look at my clock. "Shit. I told Chelsea I'd be down to see her by now!" However, when I reached for the door and wretched it open, I came face to face with the very woman I was supposed to be meeting with at that very moment.

"Looks like we're both running late today," she chuckled as soon as she caught sight of my startled expression. "I thought you got tired of waiting for me and came back here," she continued before glancing over my shoulder to find Kai still sitting at my kitchen table with a bemused grin plastered on his face. "But it looks like you've already got company, so I guess I'll be going then." With that, she turned to leave without so much as an explanation from me, but just as I went to convince her to stay, my old friend manifested in the doorway at my side.

"Actually... I was just on my way out," he assured her with a smile, "so you two can just have a nice chat." She glanced back at him in uncertainty, but in his usual way, he just acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. However, as he passed by her, he gave me a less than subtle wink, and he called out with a friendly wave of his hand. "Talk to you tomorrow then, Denny!" Still, I only allowed myself to breathe after he disappeared down the stairs.

Chelsea continued to stare in the direction in which he left, but I almost laughed to see her somewhat bewildered expression once he was out of sight. "Was that your brother?" she asked quietly. "I thought you said you don't have any immediate family."

"No, he's just a friend of nine from work," I explained with a weak chuckle. "He likes to pester me from time to time is all."

"Oh, so that must've Kai then," the woman mused with an affirming nod. "I know you said you two looked a lot alike, but I think that was one hell of an understatement if you ask me." At that point, I couldn't help laughing quietly to myself while she stepped into the room, and she gave me a playful nudge on her way past me. However, I hesitated once I realized she was standing in the middle of the room and taking in the place. I'd forgotten that this was the first time she'd come here since, for whatever reason, she hadn't taken me up on my offer from a couple weeks ago until that day. Now that she was here, though, I was anxious to hear her opinion. "You really do live alone..." she said at last, her voice somewhat sad and wistful.

"I take it you forgot about Kuu," I chuckled which caused the small bird to flutter over to join us. However, he bypassed me completely in favor of landing on her shoulder, and I smiled to see the light spark in her dull blue eyes to see him. "He's been keeping an eye on you for a long time, you know," I teased nervously, clearly unaccustomed to this sort of thing. If there was one bit of advice I wish Kai would've given me after all this time, it was how he got that almost unshakable sense of confidence in these kind of situations.

"He's certainly a sweetie," Chelsea laughed softly. As soon as she said it, he seemed to beam with pride to have been so flattered by her. "Of course, he had to learn to be a gentleman from _someone,_ I'm sure."

My entire face flushed, but she only laughed at my flustered expression. However, at the very least, it helped assure me I wouldn't have to worry about being too forward since my guest seemed to be a few steps ahead of me, and to be honest, I appreciated that more than I was probably willing to admit to her. "Um..." I began with a slight cough. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Do you have any tea?" the woman asked as she took the seat where I'd been resting only a short time earlier. At first, I hesitated because it was something I usually didn't keep around the place, but I breathed a sigh of relief to remember that I'd bought some as soon as Chelsea had mentioned she had a taste for it during one of our daily conversations. Of course, I was still a bit ashamed of that fact since it was just further proof of my apparent unwavering obsession with her.

Even if I ever got anywhere with her in the future, I was determined to never admit any of this to her for that very reason.

Unfortunately, I hadn't gone out to buy a tea kettle yet which was an embarrassing oversight on my part, but she didn't seem to mind that I had to put her mug in the microwave along with my own long forgotten cup of coffee. She simply thanked me when I brought it to her, and for a while, we only sat in a comfortable silence together. However, I found that I actually preferred her relatively quiet company, much as I did Cliff's, compared to Kai's almost constant rambling. To be fair, though, he'd been surprisingly reserved on this particular visit, and it'd been rather nice to have him see me in such a peaceful manner. Almost was enough to make me feel a bit guilty for what I'd put him through just a week earlier...

Almost, but not quite.

"You know, I think I should've came to see you like this sooner," Chelsea sighed contently as she set down her half-finished tea. "The docks are nice, but... it can be so lonely down there." I nodded in understanding, but what she said next caused me to snap to attention since it unnerved me so deeply. "If you didn't come to see me that day, none of this would've come about, and then... Well, who knows what would've happened to me?"

"And what makes you say that?" I demanded as gently as I could manage. The woman blinked in surprise to hear me speak to her in such a low, disapproving tone, but I couldn't help it. "Is it because of your divorce?" I pressed, ignoring the protests echoing in the back of my mind.

"That's part of it," she admitted, averting his gaze over towards my window. "I'm more worried about how I'm going to be able to keep the house that my daughter and I are currently living in," she explained with a heavy sigh. "My ex-husband was the one who handled the mortgage for the most part... as well as many of our other expenses, but for whatever reason, he let me keep almost everything. The house, the car... Alisa..." Although Chelsea bit her lip as her eyes welled up slightly, she refused to let herself cry in front of me, and after taking a deep, shaky breath, she continued on with an uncertain sense of renewed confidence. "I've been trying to find myself another job, but I'm either over or under qualified for most of the positions I've applied for... which is a crock of shit as far as I'm concerned."

"Can't say I blame you," I agreed, successfully keeping myself from chuckling of her sudden outburst. "You're a qualified teacher, though, so-"

"Most schools aren't hiring right now," she reminded me. "In any case, the settlement money isn't going to be enough to handle all our payments, so I think I'll just have to see what I can get out of our house... and the car as well. Then all that I can do is work out from there, I guess." The woman fell silent once again, and even though it wasn't my place to say so, I found my subdued temper finally get the better to me by forcing its way to the surface.

"Sounds like this guy decided to screw you over," I growled bitterly. Instead of leaving her with nothing, by what she'd just told me, he left her with far more than she could handle, and now she might just lose everything... "What kind of cheap asshole does that to somebody?" Especially someone you used to love? After all, even if the marriage fell through, you'd think that the feelings that used to be there would be enough to deter that kind of vengeance. The only thing that the poor woman had ever done was give him a beautiful little girl, and unwanted or not, it was still his responsibility to be sure she could be cared for.

"There's nothing to be done about it now, though," she mumbled, cradling her mug with her slender hands. However, I was already up and headed for the door with Kuu hot on my trail, and she only had just enough time to ask me where I was going before I disappeared into the hall.

"I'm going to ask Ann if we have any family housing," I explained. As soon as I said it, I heard another the other chair drag across the floor, and not too long after, Chelsea had joined me at the stairwell.

"Denny, I can't just up and leave everything, you know," she protested. When I glanced back at her, I realized tat the poor woman's face was red and on the verge of tears once again. However, she was still determined to keep herself together long enough to try and convince me to let the whole thing go. "I know you're only trying to help, but what about Alisa? How can I just bring her here when I don't even know if there's a school around here? And how am I supposed to get her there when this place doesn't even have a parking lot or a bus station?"

"There's a school three blocks away from here that I pass on my way to work," I explained. "The rent here is more than reasonable for someone in your situation, and you said so yourself that you couldn't afford to keep that car much longer anyway which is probably because you're driving down here every day," I continued earnestly. Although I knew I was making yet another rash decision by saying and doing all this, I was surprised to find I was rather calm about the whole situation. Still, I realized, a bit too late if you asked me, that maybe I wasn't the best thing for me to be making those kind of decisions _for_ her. "Chelsea," I began again, resting my hands tentatively on her shoulders and making her eyes meet mine. "You alreadyr came down here every day... so at least think about it, okay?" She only stared back at me, but I could tell that my words had reached her all the same.

"Please tell me you're not like this _all_ the time..." the woman chuckled at last and shook her head in amusement.

"Only when I'm worried about someone," I assured her with a weak smile of my own. "If you can believe it, I actually prefer to keep to myself as much as possible." Not surprisingly, Chelsea looked rather doubtful about that, but I couldn't blame her for her skepticism. After all, ever since I first saw her, I'd been making a damn fool of myself. My thoughts seemed to go from my mind to my lips in an instant, and half the time, it resulted in me having to put my foot in my mouth.

"Let me guess... you're only this crazy when it comes to the ladies, huh?" she teased with a raised, perfectly arched eyebrow. Although I just returned her shy smile, it was a struggle on my part not to give her a kiss on the forehead just to reassure her of my good intentions. However, I thought that might be a bit much.

"Just the pretty ones," I replied with a chuckle. She immediately blushed, but she couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes as well.

"Need extra cheese with that?" she laughed, trying to hide her embarrassment with a wave of her hand. Right then I was just glad to have made the poor woman smile even with the weight of everything she'd just shared with me bearing down on her narrow shoulders. I still didn't plan on resorting to such clumsy, unnatural tactics very often, though, since I clearly wasn't suited for them. Chelsea apparently caught on to this as well, and she wasn't about to just let it go. "You didn't come up with that yourself, did you?"

"Could you honestly imagine me coming up with something like that myself?" I asked playfully. She thought on that for a moment, and soon enough she shook her head wearing something between an amused or a disgruntled expression. "That's because that would be what Kai would say, not me."

"So you're saying that I'm not pretty?" my companion asked quietly, her eyes becoming downcast. Of course I found myself scrambling to explain that that wasn't the case, but as soon as I'd begun to defend myself, she brought a finger to my lips. "I was just kidding, Denny," she assured me with a chuckle. "I think you and I have _got_ to be ourselves around each other." Like almost everything she'd said up until this point, I had to agree she was probably right although I doubted I'd ever be able to be completely myself around her for any length of time without having to fake at least something, most likely my own sense of confidence.

"You'll still think about my offer, though, right?" I asked, drawing away from her. "I know it'll be hard for the both of you, but it'd be better than losing everything that you have left."

"I... I know..." she agreed with a heavy sigh. "I was just so happy to have him hand everything over to me without any trouble, and now it's like I can't hold onto anything that I _do_ have." The woman's stormy eyes only flashed for an instant before they faded some once she'd gone and said it, but then she seemed to chuckle to herself. "I guess that's what I get for being so damn greedy..." I tired to think of some way to assure her that that wasn't the case at all, but as always, she cut me off before I could even begin. "I really have to get going, though, or I'll be late picking up Alisa," she dismissed herself, no doubt just trying to get out of my sight before she let herself cry if only a little.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked, slipping my hands in my pockets and shifting my feet like some school kid hoping for a second date. However, I already knew the answer was 'yes' since that's what I'd come to expect from her after all this time talking with her.

The woman gave me a nod, and after a bit of hesitation on both parts, she still added a quick kiss to seal the promise. Even though it only lasted an instant, my entire face warmed all the same. I was too dumbfounded to hear her descend the stairs, but all it took was a sharp peck on the head from Kuu to ring me back to my senses. That also happened to be the moment when I heard the front door shut behind the fleeing woman, and I realized that I might've just let her go just a bit too soon.

"Missed my chance again, huh?" I asked my small companion as he fluttered down to perch on my shoulder. He seemed to nod, but I just chalked it up to coincidence which probably wasn't the best decision I'd ever made. After all, before I'd found her, his word was the only one I felt I could honestly trust. Now that I had Chelsea around, though... I was beginning to ignore him for the most part. "Still... I guess I'm getting somewhere," I mused with a soft smile. "Maybe it's going too fast, though..."

All the way back up the stairs and down the hall back to my place, I couldn't help letting a warm, reassuring feeling drape over me. Even if she found something else, and probably better, for herself and her daughter than this old boarding house, I still did something without feeling like I did it solely for myself.

Of course... it _would_ be nice to have her living nearby...

However, these thoughts were soon forgotten when I stepped back into my room and my eyes settled on the table where we'd sat together. Laying there, completely abandoned by its reluctant owner, was the number Kai had shown me earlier, and although it was against my better judgement, I was flying high enough from my own blooming romance to flip it open. There was only a woman's name and a number, but what got to me wasn't the fact that she hadn't left some cutesy message. Rather, it was still the thought that my friend had no intentions of ever calling her that continued to tug at my curiosity.

"Popuri, huh?" I mumbled quietly to myself. "Well... let's just hope that she doesn't mind getting a call from his friend instead," I thought aloud, "because I think I owe him a favor."

--

**Author's Note:** Just for extra unnecessary information, Denny is not only the shortest of the guys at 5' 6", but he's also the youngest person working at the office at twenty-four.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

"Claire? Did you hear what I said?" I blinked at first which brought the screen in front of me back into clear focus, but it still took me a moment to realize it was Gray who'd spoken to me. However, having him rest his hand on my back is what really brought him to my attention as its warmth seemed to spread throughout my entire body in an instant. I found I couldn't hide my bashful smile, and in turn, I was sure he was just as embarrassed by the way his eyes darted away from me and towards the wall. "If you keep spacing out on me like this, I'll just have to make you tell me what's wrong, you know," he teased me gruffly.

"It's really nothing, Gray," I assured him as I returned my gaze to the monitor. However, what I didn't tell him was that I was actually worried since I'd begun falling behind in my work recently, but it was because of that that I chose to lie to him. I had to be sure to keep things together, or I would certainly lose more than just my job. That meant I couldn't have anything, or _anyone,_ distracting me which was why I refused to look at him.

"Well, if it was 'really nothing,' then you wouldn't have been sitting there like that for twenty minutes," he deadpanned. When I didn't respond, he sighed heavily and went to muss my hair, but what was so unusual about the gesture was that I couldn't shake the sense that it felt more fatherly in nature than playful. Still, I only bowed my head since I knew I wouldn't like where this conversation seemed to be going. Maybe it was just a result of my own insecurities, or perhaps there was actually some merit to my suspicions that he was acting a bit strange around me lately. Whatever it was... I wasn't so sure whether I wanted it to stop or not.

"All I need is a good night's rest, and I'll be fine," I mumbled as I tried to put my hair back into some kind of order. However, he made it clear that my reply wasn't good enough and turned my head to face him. I still refused to let my gaze met his, though.

"Don't give me any of that shit," the man sighed, getting down on his haunches to be at eye level with me. Even while I still did my best to keep from looking at him, I found I couldn't keep myself from doing so for very long, and at last, I lifted my gaze to meet his dead on. Gray's dark blue eyes were clearly filled with concern for me, but I felt strangely cold towards him in that moment. This scene was just too familiar... although I wasn't seeing the same man this time around. "You know I don't like playing these kind of guessing games, Claire."

"Then don't play," I snapped before spinning back around to face my computer once again. I really should've, and normally would've been, more considerate especially since it was more than clear to me that he was only worried about my well being, but my patience was unusually short today, it seemed.

However, I wasn't sure exactly what it was that was troubling me in the first place.

"Fine then," he agreed gruffly, slapping his knees as he stood up from his hunched position. "Maybe I'll come back when you're a little less pissy about things." I only glared at him until he disappeared across the hall, but then I childishly stuck my tongue out at him once he was out of sight. I apparently wasn't as good as I thought I was, though, since not a moment after I did it, I heard him remark, "Aren't you a little to old to be doing that?"

My cheeks might've burned to have been found out, but I was stubborn enough not to let the man see any of it for himself. Although I couldn't quite explain why, I was becoming increasingly irritable throughout today, and I'd finally gone off on the one person who might've been able to help. However, Gray had taken everything surprisingly in stride... considering it was him of all people. Still, all this thinking meant that the numbers I was supposed to be crunching hadn't moved down so much as a single line, and dark was fast approaching while I continued to sit there lost in thought. All I wanted was to get back to work, finish up in the next half hour, and head home for the night.

Looking at my blank screen, though, I had a feeling that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

_Just leave it until tomorrow morning,_ I tried to convince myself. _You've already put in a full today's work, so why not let it slide for once? _However, I was determined to get at least something done before I clocked out, and so I tuned out any and every protest that came to mind as I pressed on with the accounting and occasionally shuffling though the incoming messages as they came through my inbox. I could get it done. No problem.

By the time seven rolled around, though, I was at my wit's end with anxiety. In the past two hours, I'd barely managed to get anything done to my liking which, of course, only frustrated me all the more. That included, but was not limited to, switching the last of that day's sales and purchases, neglecting to factor in the new pay roll, misplacing no less than three decimals that would've resulted in losses up to the thousands, and, to top it all off, I'd forgotten to save it until _after_ I'd accidently closed out of the window. That last error was surely my breaking point, and I was only grateful that most of the office wasn't there to hear me cry out as I kicked the underside of my desk. Even so, there was still one person who could overhear my tantrum, and once I lifted my head from my keyboard, I found he'd already come to my side with an uncertain expression on his face.

"God damn, Claire... What the hell is going on in here?" Gray growled, clearly trying his best to keep his voice down so as not to upset me any further. Through my tussled bangs, I glared up at him with red-rimmed eyes, but if Gray noticed, he didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, he actually looked slightly amuse which didn't exactly ease my sudden temper any. "You really must be having one hell of a bad day for you to be this mad," he chuckled as he shook his head.

"And what's so funny about that?" I muttered while crossing my arms over my meager chest. "I'm entitled to a few bad days every now and then, aren't I?" Although I bit my tongue to keep from saying it aloud, I added bitterly in my mind, _Especially when you have so damn many._

"Ever think that maybe it's because you're trying too hard?" my companion offered, leaning over me to shut down my computer. "You forgot to eat lunch again today, you know."

As if set off by that very reminder, my stomach growled angrily up at me, and in a desperate attempt to cover up the tell-tale sound, my arms clasped themselves over the offending spot. He'd obviously heard it for himself, though, so there was really no point in even trying to mask the truth. I hadn't intended to forgot after the last time, but... judging by the disapproving look he was giving me, I knew he'd never believe me. Even without telling him anything myself, I was sure he already knew about my 'condition,' and while I knew it was probably for the best, I still hated to realize that he knew what I'd known all along.

"I... I knew that, but I don't think that has anything to do with this," I insisted with my face becoming redder by the minute. However, he only raised a curious eyebrow, and I started to become all the more desperate as a result. "Please, Gray, I don't want to talk about it right now, okay? That part of my life is over, so let's not bring it up again... Please?"

"Did _I_ say anything about it?" he replied cooly, setting my tupperware in front of me. "Still, if you're going to try making new things for yourself, you really should eat it, you know." I nodded weakly as my blush deepened to a dark crimson to realize that he looked inside, and yet I was somewhat flattered that he paid so much attention to me even if it was just what I had for lunch that day.

Of course, that also made me a bit more self-conscious of what I ate in the future, but... it was a sweet gesture all the same.

"You really didn't have to bring it to me..." I murmured, averting my gaze from his. Gray didn't bother to say anything as he leaned against the wall, but I still saw the slight smile tugging at his lips. However, it faltered soon enough when I began eating my special four bean salad with vinegar dressing. After all, neither one of us had suspected me to start crying upon taking my first bite. What bothered me the most, though, was that I couldn't read his expression which make it all the harder for me to swallow.

"Does it really hurt that much for you to eat?" he asked with a heavy sigh. I glanced up at him to find his shoulders were hunched over in discomfort and his brow was furrowed in deep thought, but I only offered him a soft smile just to try and reassure him that I was really alright. Just a bit overwhelmed is all, and that happened to everyone at some point.

"Sometimes," I replied, taking another hesitant forkful. Gray might've nodded, but I was sure he didn't understand any of it since unless you've experienced it for yourself, it's not something you can relate to. For the most part, _I_ couldn't even know how to explain it because it had begun so suddenly in my younger days. I never could've thought that it would go this far, either...

Not when it all started with me trying to lose a few innocent pounds of remaining baby fat in my teenage years.

"Would a dinner invitation be too much for you then?" Gray muttered quietly, running his calloused fingers through his thick head of hair. I stopped mid-bite when he said it since I was sure I hadn't heard him right, but the rather impressive shade of red that burned throughout his worn face was more than enough to assure me of his sincerity. Of course, I blushed as well upon realizing what he was suggesting, and it was all I could do to offer him a coherent reply.

"That wouldn't be any trouble at all for me," I assured him with a gentle smile. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief to hear it, but he didn't say anything right away until my answer got a chance to fully sink in. Not that I blamed him any since, knowing him, he'd probably been preparing himself for rejection from the start.

I had to admit I was a bit surprised by my reply as well although I wouldn't say a word of it to him. After all, as close as I'd become to the man in recent months, not to mention the past four years, I'd never considered him to be anything more than a fellow coworker... Or had I? To be honest, there were times when the line seemed to blur between a working relationship and a more personal one with him, and it often got to the point where there seemed to be no difference at all.

"Just don't expect anything fancy," he warned me, patting me on the head like a little girl. Then, almost as if he still doubted me, he asked, "And you're sure you won't change your mind tomorrow, right?"

"Gray... do you honestly think I'm the kind of girl who'd lead someone on like that?" I scoffed playfully with a dismissive wave of my hand. He stared at me for a moment before he began to chuckle, and then, out of seemingly no where, he actually began to laugh. I blinked at him in surprise since it was probably the first I'd heard of him ever laughing. He stopped abruptly, though, when he realized that I was staring, but it only made me smile all the more to see him blush afterwards. The poor man really was so awkward at times, and yet... that might've been what made him such a sweet man in the first place. "And just what was so funny about that?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know when one minute it's 'nothing really' and the next you're telling me off?" he teased which caused my cheeks to flush instead of his for once. "Now come on, let's get you home before you _really_ get after me," he offered, taking my coat off the door and tossing it over to me. "Unless you want to stay at my place again."

"No..." I declined reluctantly. "I think it's about time I go back to my own home... Cu misses me, you know." He only rolled his eyes to hear me mention my furry companion, but I knew he didn't mean any of it. Although he was always trying to tell me otherwise, I knew Gray had a soft spot for the wonderful little creature, and I had pictures to prove it, too. Of course... he didn't know about any of those which made it all the more entertaining for me. "Not to mention I haven't gotten a chance to water my plants in the past couple of days."

"Do you think he'll be coming back?" he asked quietly. We both knew full well who '_he_' was, but neither one of us were willing to say his name, whether in each other's presence or even alone. Every now and then, though, I'd hear my coworker mutter 'that bastard' under his breath, and that was more than enough for us to show our resentment of the man. However, I didn't really understand why Gray felt that way about him when he wasn't the one who had to go through that whole ordeal. As for why he'd decided to confront the other... I couldn't begin to imagine. All I knew was that once he came back home that day I couldn't stop myself from fussing over him, asking him if he'd put any ice on his black eye or put disinfectant on his split knuckles. That still was nothing compared to what he'd done to his rival... which made me cringe just to think about it.

"Kai," I mumbled, "won't come unless I ask him to, so that won't be a problem, I don't think." Maybe I was just trying to find a way to change the subject, but it was about that time that I noticed something was wrong with my companion. Not only was his brow furrowed and his face pained with something I couldn't quite recognize, but he was also shaking something terrible which I'd never seem him do before. Gray wasn't the kind of man who'd ever let himself do such a thing, and because of that, I was convinced that whatever was causing it, he was going to have to talk to me about it sooner or later. Starting now.

Without any warning, I clumsily took the man's hand into my own, and although he was startled at first, my steady gaze was more than enough to keep him from pulling away. "What is it?" he muttered cautiously. "Is something wrong?"

"Can you tell me why you're shaking so bad?" I replied, my eyes softening as I glanced down to draw his attention to the tremors he was having. Of course, after I did so, he tried to hide the fact as best he could. They still continued, though, and I was convinced that they got even worse once he was aware of them. " I know I'm probably not the best person to talk to about these kinds of things," I began, "but... if you need to tell me anything, I-"

"I'm going to stop drinking," he explained suddenly. His reply was so abrupt that it actually took a moment for the realization to fully register in my mind, and when it did, I actually gasped with surprise. Before I could congratulate him, though, he cut me off once again. "Don't be gettin' too excited now," he grumbled, doing his best to hide his growing discomfort. "It's just my first day, and I'm already having problems..." I grew quiet then, but I still refused to let him put himself down, especially on day one of his recovery. After all, there wasn't any time to waste on letting him get discouraged.

"But even that's an improvement, isn't it?" I argued with a reassuring smile. "You decided you wanted to quit on your own, and the biggest step is admitting that you have a problem, you know." He only sighed and gave me a weak nod, but my smile never wavered since I knew all too well what he would be going through in the next few months and even beyond. More than anything, he needed support, and at the very least, I could do that much for him although I knew I would do my best to do even more.

However, judging by the doubt already lingering in his gaze... it'd take a lot more than a smile and a few kind words to put him securely back on his feet.

My mind was humming with these very thoughts as we made our way back to my place. The suburbs may have been almost painfully familiar to me by this time, but now I couldn't help wondering if maybe my neighborhood might be a better environment for Gray's recovery than the bordering edge of the city where he lived. After all, here there wasn't a liquor store on every corner, and the nearest bar could only be reached by expressway which was something he was always more than willing to avoid. Then again, he never really seemed all that comfortable coming here even just to drop me off at night.

Amidst the manicured lawns and standard,white houses, Gray always looked somewhat out of place when he visited. Whether it was because of his rusted out pick-up or his steel-toed boots and loose-fitting work shirts, he just didn't fit the image that was expected of a man in that setting. Although I certainly didn't mind any, his discomfort was more than obvious, for he never stepped out of the driver's seat if given the choice. That was actually why I always had to get out of the truck on my own by hopping down from the passenger's side and usually risking the chance of falling flat on my face doing so. Of course he would've been more than willing to help me if I'd only asked him, but I was too stubborn about such things to even consider it.

"Just remember not to make any plans for tomorrow," he reminded me once I'd landed safely on my front lawn. "Or I won't be able to ask you again." I only laughed and shook my head, but I knew better than to assume he was just kidding me. After all, who knows how difficult it must've been for him to get the courage to ask me out on a date in the first place. Surely, knowing him, it was no small feat for the man, and because of that, if nothing else, I was determined to assure him that the effort was anything but wasted.

All it took was a few last promises from me and he was well off on his way once again. However, as I watched his taillights fade from view and disappear around a corner, I felt my heart sink a little, and I wondered if I should've asked him to stay for a while longer. It certainly would've helped me feel less lonely than I did at that very moment...

Even stepping into my house didn't feel quite right while I slipped off my shoes and felt my feet sink into the plush carpet. Although I'd been staying here for a little over five years, I still found myself wishing I was elsewhere, and the feeling only grew as I made my way further inside, almost stepping on poor Cu on my way in. However, all I could think was... _Do I even _live_ here?_ Better yet, did I even want to?

I honestly couldn't say.

Just why did I suddenly feel this way, though? I'd gone through a lot in my life, and yet... I couldn't remember ever feeling this way before. Maybe it was also to blame for the way I'd treated Gray back at the office, or it might even explain why I'd gotten so frustrated with my work. I really had no way to explain any of it away which troubled me most of all. After all, how could I fix the problem if I didn't know what was causing it in the first place?

There wasn't much time to dwell on it further before I heard my phone ring just as I was pulling my blouse over my head. When I glanced over at my clock, my curiosity only grew being that it was impossible for Gray to be home already. However, it didn't take long to figure it out once I glanced at my caller ID. It was anything but what I wanted to see, but I still found myself muttering the person's name under my breath. "Kai..." I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief and frustration. _What could he possibly..._ "Hello?"

"So you _are_ still talking to me then," the familiar voice mused thoughtfully on the other end. I knew he was only trying to make light of the situation, but I wasn't really in the mood for any of his small talk. If he wanted me to hear him out, he'd better get to it, or I was going to simply hang up. Luckily for him, though, he was still a fast talker when it came to asking for favors. "I was just wondering if I could have my stuff back," he explained, getting straight to the heart of the matter. Much to my relief, I might add. His things were cluttering up the place...

"No problem. I can bring everything to work tomorrow," I replied coldly, trying to mask my annoyance with him. However, something about the casual nature of his voice made it even harder for me to stomach the thought of even speaking to him, on the phone or otherwise, and I couldn't stop myself from pushing just a little bit harder to get under _his_ skin for once. "You really should thank me, you know... Gray was just going to throw everything out until I stopped him." It certainly wasn't a lie, either, since I'd found the box I'd put everything in sitting on the side of the road with a small sign that read 'Free Shit' written on the side.

Who knew that such a gruff man could have a sense of humor?

"Well then, I suppose I do owe you one," the other man chuckled before he sighed rather pitifully. However, just as I was about to cut him short with a good-bye, he added, "And an apology."

"Is that so?" I deadpanned, not allowing myself to feel much of anything. "Well, I hate to say it, Kai, but it's a little late for that, don't you think?" There was only silence following my reply, and before he could even try and convince me to feel otherwise, I took the opportunity to discourage him once and for all. I just felt sorry that I had to use the other man to get back at him. "Gray's taking me to dinner tomorrow," I explained with a sense of pride as I said it.

"Oh, is he?" Kai replied quietly. "I hope you have fun then."

"And he's trying to quit drinking, too," I continued which caused my heart to give an excited jump in my chest. "It's amazing, isn't it? How even with everything that's happened, there's still someone who can make me feel better about things." Although I was chuckling to myself, I still felt the tears begin to slip down my cheeks freely, but I didn't try to stop them. Let them fall for all I cared as long as no one else could see them. "So don't think that I'm some little girl you need to baby all the time, Kai. I don't need you calling just to check up on me, and I don't need your apologies, either."

"Claire, I-" I cut him off there, slamming the phone down with a sense of accomplishment, but I still left my hand resting there for a moment or so longer. I was shaking since I'd never said or done anything like it before, and yet I couldn't keep myself from smiling. After all, that was it... the solution to everything that had been nagging at me just below the surface of a calm, content exterior. The reason I'd been so off the whole day was now gone which left me feeling oddly giddy. All those ugly feelings had mysteriously vanished; just like that. I couldn't even describe the relief that washed over me just to know that I could finally let go of him, my anxieties, and maybe the very thing that started it all.

However, I still couldn't stop myself from crying, but it didn't hurt so much. If anything, it actually made me feel even better. After all, these tears weren't so bad now that I thought about it...

Especially when they were from laughing.

--

**Author's Note:** More unnecessary information... because I can. XD

Claire stands at around 5' 3" and weighs 104 lbs which is why so many of the men take note of how 'small' she is. Although she's more tech savvy than Gray (who doesn't even have caller ID or basic cable), she still has a lot of trouble when it comes to computers, and that's probably why she ends up staying so late at work every day. She decided to become a vegetarian at 16, and she's stuck with it for the past ten years (making her about 26) even when her doctor felt it would be better for her recovery and overall health if included meat and dairy in her diet.

She's probably the most fleshed out of all the characters despite her somewhat carefree personality which makes it hard for me not to tell you _everything_ about her. However, writing these things makes me feel like I'm just tooting my own horn. -.-


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Disclaimer:** I do not have ownership of _The Great Gatsby_ which was written by the admirable F. Scott Fitzgerald, nor do I own any other book mentioned within this chapter.

--

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_"I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library."_

"Yeah, and it isn't working worth a damn, is it?" I muttered sorely under my breath. The book I was reading didn't say anything back while I continued to sit there with it staring up at me from my lap, but I still felt like it was just laughing at me in some way. Not that it really had much to laugh about, though, since it's yellowed pages were just as well worn as my tired face. It probably hadn't got any sleep, either, while it sat on the shelf crammed in between _The Beautiful and the Damned_ and _This Side of Paradise_.

However, although what I'd just read was too damn close to home for my tastes, I was still grateful to be sitting there and reading instead of typing away mindlessly at my computer. Hell, it was even better that I wasn't over at the diner with Muffy trying to smother me with one last pep talk. I knew that in some weird ass way she was only trying to help, but I'd had it with her unwanted advice which always seemed more like a bunch of demands if you asked me. That was probably the only reason I agreed to go through with the whole... _date_ thing to begin with.

The familiar smell of old, forgotten paper and dried ink was what really brought me to the small bookstore, though. It was a heavy, musty, and almost earthy scent, and whenever I caught a whiff of it, I found myself being reminded of my hometown, miles away from the city and its crowded streets. It was during these few times I was able to forget that I was living in a place where all you could smell was car exhaust and fryer grease, but it never seemed to last long enough. After all, I had to come back to reality sooner or later.

"Reading _The Great Gatsby_ again, Gray?" a quiet, familiar voice asked as I continued to let my eyes scan the words with little interest. Since I knew the gentle tone so well, I wasn't exactly startled, but my gaze still darted up from the page to see the rather curvy woman who'd just spoken to me. She was crouching down to reach one of the lower shelves, but the noticeable swell of her stomach made the maneuver more difficult for her than usual. However, just when I got up to help her, she'd already rightened herself again, so I simply flopped back into the easy chair I'd been resting in for the past ten minutes. "I don't understand why you haven't bought it for yourself yet," she continued after taking a moment to catch her breath. "You read it every time you come in here, and then you always buy something else without any idea what it is you're actually buying."

"I can't just come in here and read, Mary," I argued while my face heated some. "This isn't a library, you know." I usually wasn't so irritable around her, but whether it was because I'd been stone-cold sober for the past couple days or just frustrated in general, I wasn't sure. She didn't even seem to notice my attitude, though.

"But that doesn't answer my question, does it?" she quipped. I only chuckled and shook my head as I wondered how such a meek looking woman could be so damn quick about these things. Although most people thought I was difficult to talk to, she always had a reply laying in wait for me, and half the time, I thought that the thick lenses she wore let her dark eyes cut right through me to the very heart of whatever matter we were discussing. Still, that might've been what I liked most about her since I didn't have to say much to get my point across.

"How are Jack and Sabrina doing?" I asked casually, trying to hide my slight resentment towards the man as I said it. I'd met her husband once since I'd started coming here, and we didn't exactly leave the best impression on one another. According to her, it was just because we were too much alike, but I was convinced he was just an asshole. Her daughter was a sweet girl, though, and the first thing I noticed about her was that she was the very image her mother from her raven hair to honest, brown eyes. That kid was probably the only reason I was actually willing to recognize that the woman was married in the first place. "I know you told me started school a while ago, but you said you were worried about her making friends, right?"

"Oh, she's having fun," Mary replied, a shy smile making its way across her gentle features. "Her teacher is really impressed to see her reading at such a high level for her age, of course, but I'm actually happier that she's finally made a friend... The only problem is that I heard the little girl and her mother are moving soon. I've been thinking about maybe suggesting a play date or something since neither one of the girls are very good about making new friends." I was actually enjoying listening to her tell me all of this, but when she finally took a moment to take a breath, she blushed and quickly apologized. "Sorry about that... I tend to ramble, don't I?"

"Not really," I assured her with a shrug. "Parents are supposed to be proud of their kids." Mine never were, but I guess shit happens to the best of us although I didn't really fit into that category, either. "And when's the other one coming?"

"That won't be until another two months," she sighed, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe it herself. "Jack keeps trying to convince me to close up here until the baby's born, but I just can't do that to you and the other regulars..." I was just about to ask her what 'other regulars' she was referring to before we heard the tinkling of the bell she had hanging over the front door, and I craned my neck to see who it was being that hardly anyone ever came in. However, as soon as I saw who it was, I stood up immediately and disappeared around the nearest corner.

The place was so damn small, though, that I barely managed to stumble my way over to the far end of the store, and even then, I was only crammed in the corner with two mammoth bookcases on either side of me. While the whole thing was a bunch of bull shit on my part, I still didn't want her to see me. After all, the store was one of the few places where I could hide out for a while, and as much as I liked the woman, I didn't want any company. Not here. Besides, I'd be seeing her later, and it was hard enough to realize what I'd have to go through just to appease a certain waitress without having the urge to cancel the whole fucking thing nagging at me the entire time I spent talking with her.

"Claire, it's nice to see you again," the young mother greeted her, a hint of amusement in her soft voice. "Were you interested in finding another book?"

"Yes..." the other agreed, almost wistfully. "I was actually wondering if you had _Sober and Staying That Way_ here. An old friend of mine recommended it to me, and it's also been mentioned in a few articles." It was all I could do to keep myself from slapping a hand to my forehead and, strangely enough, also try not to laugh about the situation, but I only pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed instead with something of a smirk making its way across my cracked lips. How she came up with these ideas of hers?

"Dealing with a stubborn one, huh?" Mary mused with that knowing air of hers. "I usually don't carry her books since I think she's just another self promoter, but she's straight forward enough, I'll give her that. Now..." Although the owner of the store went on to explain the pros and cons of the book, I just rolled my eyes to hear her continue to refer to me without even bothering to say my name, but then I had a thought. How the hell did she know about any of this? Was it really that obvious, or was it just another of her remarkable insights? Sure, she might've caught me taking a sip out of my flask every now and then when I figured no one was looking, but she couldn't have known anything more than that. Even if she was as smart as she made herself out to be, there was no way that-

"But do you think Gray would actually read it?" Claire asked suddenly, her voice coming out frailer than it should've. "I can't do this for him, you know... No matter how much I wish I could, it just doesn't work out that way."

"Well, he seems to prefer fiction," the other explained while trying to sound somewhat understanding. "However, there is an audio cassette version you could always try," she suggested which made me cringe. I could just imagine getting into my truck one morning and going to turn on the radio, only to have some old bird start squawking about some twelve step program because the little woman decided to slip it into my tape player the night before. Maybe it sounded like a bunch of bull shit coming from a man who had too much damn time on his hands, but... I really wouldn't put it past her not to at least try to pull a stunt like that.

"I'm going to go fucking nuts before this shit is over..." I muttered darkly as I stepped out of the cool shelter of the store and into the already humid air of early June. I hadn't bothered to stick out to find out just what self-help nonsense I was going to be expected to read over the next couple of days, but I was only trying to put off the suffering as long as possible. That, of course, was if I even bothered to flip the damn thing open in the first place. Couldn't the woman let me do this on my own? "Just a bunch of fucking bull shit..."

--

"Just shut it down already," I growled, shrugging off my blazer and knocking on the wall again to try and get the woman's attention. "That place is busy on a Friday night, and it's not like I made a reservation or anything, you know"

"Then we'll just have to wait for a table like everyone else, won't we?" she assured me with a smile. "Besides, I know for a fact that you don't like to eat before seven, so just let me finish and we'll get going." I muttered something hotly under my breath when she scolded me, but she chose to ignore it as she went right back to work. Although her obsessive work ethic wasn't anything new, I was still annoyed with both her and the office we were crammed in by then. You'd think she'd get pretty damn sick of the place, too, but _oh no..._ we just had to stay here for another fucking hour before she was finally ready to- "Alright, let's go," she said suddenly, rolling back from her desk. I almost laughed when she ran into the toe of my boot and nearly toppled over it in the process.

"Come on then, you klutz," I teased with a playful smirk. She blushed slightly as she gave me a hesitant nod, and with that, we were on our way.

That was pretty much how I thought our entire little 'date' was going to go since it seemed like every time we tried to strike up a conversation it would die away into an awkward silence almost as soon as it began. I _told_ Muffy that something like this wouldn't be a good idea. We were better off without the pointless formalities, and now the question was if I'd just thrown a wrench into the whole damn thing. However, I told myself to hold out on panicking until we got to the Inner Inn for dinner.

Neither one of us got any more comfortable at the restaurant, though, and that was when I really started to doubt that there was still time to salvage the remains of the evening. Claire didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, of course, since she was more enthralled with the oriental décor than myself, and for that, I was actually grateful. It was bad enough that I was still shaking today without having her see that I'd broken out in a nervous sweat as well in a weak attempt to brush off my growing anxieties about numerous things that night.

She didn't need to notice I was already eyeing up the bar, either.

As soon as we come in, I immediately pulled one of the waiters off to the side, and after a few words between he and I, we found ourselves being taken right to the only open table to be found in the place. Of course, Claire picked up on this right away, and she didn't hesitate to call me out on it, either. "Didn't you tell me you didn't make reservations for this?" she pressed, her voice tinged with curiosity. "How'd we get in first?"

"I have my connections," I explained with a satisfied smile. The truth was that I knew the head cook herself, but I wasn't one to brag about such things. She was just an older woman I'd come to know who just so happened to own one of the best eastern influenced restaurants around. All I did for her was lift a few boxes for her one morning while staggering my way home after an unusually bad night of drinking, and since then, she'd babied me every time I showed up. Although I never really tried to use it to my advantage, it was still nice having an insider for nights like this. Besides, something told me she wouldn't mind me throwing her name around the place if I had a woman with me for once.

"Gray, how good it is to see you!" a rather stout woman cheered, scurrying out of the kitchen to greet me as she brushed her pudgy hands on her apron. However, she stopped almost immediately when her large, black eyes caught sight of Claire sitting across from me, and her smile brightened to realize what was taking place. _"Oh..._ Better not let my son see this young lady, or that boy might just steal her away!" she laughed, her dark hair clinging to her cheeks from the sweat that was still trickling down her rounded face.

"I'd like to see him try," I growled, failing to realize she was probably only joking.

"As if I'd would ever let my worthless son have a nice girl like her," she scoffed. We chatted for a little while longer, but then she insisted that she had to get back to her kitchen before said son made a disaster out of it. However, she assured me her husband would be with us shortly and our orders would soon follow. During all of this, it was clear that Claire was more than content to just take in her new surroundings. From the bright red lacquered furniture to the Japanese murals lining the walls and even the paper lanterns overhead, she seemed to be enthralled with each and every detail, and I actually had to nudge her with my foot to get her attention again. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Y-yes," she assured me as she blushed. "I just didn't expect you to know anyone here is all." Although I chuckled slightly, I couldn't really blame her for not knowing. After all, I wasn't the most social guy around, but what she seemed to have forgotten was that I was someone known simply as a 'regular.' That meant if I was at a place I was familiar with, I knew the whole staff that was working there as well.

"Ruby was actually one of the first people in town that I met," I explained. "When I feel like eating right, I like to come here." Otherwise, it was Shirley's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner which probably wasn't the best for my insides, but they were pickled enough that I figured fried food couldn't do too much more damage.

"Here you are, Gray," a large man announced seemingly out of no where. I say 'large' meaning his width, of course, but Tim was still a good man if his skills as a waiter were anything to go by. However, one downfall to being a regular is that no one ever asks you what you want because they already know... and that, unfortunately, included drinks. So there, staring me down just when I thought I had things under control, was a bottle of rice wine which, despite going down like rocket fuel, just so happened to be my drink of choice when I came here. It also didn't help matters any that he left before I could send the damn thing back with him...

Leaving me to contemplate whether I should treat myself or not.

"Why did you decide to stop drinking so suddenly, Gray?" Claire asked, effortlessly passing the bottle off to the nearest waiter. I was silent at first since I wasn't really sure what I should say. I knew that she was expecting an answer one way or another, but I wasn't sure which one was the right one... the one _she_ wanted to hear from me. Although I knew the truth was the probably what she was hoping for, I'd be damned if I'd give it to her. A man had to keep a few things to himself, after all, and that would just have to be one of them.

"I don't know," I lied after a long pause. Of course I knew what it was... but... I wasn't going to admit to it, not here. My reason was something I didn't feel like sharing, and even if I had to tell her at one point or another, it sure as hell wasn't going to be in a crowded restaurant crammed to the rafters with people, most of whom probably wouldn't be able to mind their own damn business. However, the almost pitiful look she was giving me was enough to tell me that that wasn't the answer she'd wanted from me at all.

"That makes things a little more difficult then," my companion sighed. When I raised an eyebrow, she sighed yet again, and I wondered, not for the first time, if this night had any chance in hell of ever working out. There I was, trying to stay sober, while she was just struggling to be patient with me about the whole thing, and neither one of use was doing that great of a job at it. Of course, I didn't ask her on this date for a god damn therapy session, so I don't know if I'd really done anything wrong. "If you don't know why you're trying to better yourself... then it makes the whole process a lot harder than it already is," she explained at last, her voice thin and almost non-existent.

"Okay... Then why did you decide you needed to start eating?" I asked just as our dinner was brought to us. Her eyes widened to see the platter they'd set out in front of her which was about the size of her head, but I only chuckled to see her flustered expression. "Don't worry. this stuff makes good left overs, so you don't have to eat it all if you don't want to." It was actually hard for me not to smile when I saw the relief that washed over her, and finally, I just couldn't keep myself from doing so any longer. "I usually can't finish mine, either," I admitted if only to reassure her that she was perfectly normal. She'd always been normal, though... Well, to _me_ anyway...

Claire was just Claire, fussy eating habits and all.

"Because I felt terrible," she told me, snapping apart her chopsticks, "and I wanted to prove to myself that things _could_ get better if I tried hard enough." When I asked her if she got what she'd been hoping for all that time, she only glanced up at me and offered me a shy, somewhat cryptic smile. At first, I thought I'd touched on something I shouldn't have, but although I was already busy cussing myself out in my own mind for being such an insensitive asshole about such things, I didn't let my expression tell her as much. I guess I shouldn't have worried, though, since Claire wasn't the kind of girl to let a simple question bother her.

"I'd like to think so... After all, I'm having dinner with you, aren't I?" she teased before starting in on her meal. I sat there, a little stunned, as my face began to burn, but she just kept on smiling quietly to herself like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to say. Of course, I still didn't believe it for myself. I sure as hell wasn't that nice of a guy for her to be saying something like that, and we both probably knew it. She was only trying to make me feel better about myself... although I didn't really understand why she even bothered in the first place.

"Just remember that the next time I go and do something stupid," I grumbled, earning me a giggle from her side of the table. For me, that was more than enough to make this troublesome 'date' thing at least somewhat worth it, and the rest of the evening went on smoothly enough, I guess.

She insisted on staying at my place once again, but I didn't really mind after having her over so many times before. Truth be told... I don't think I wanted her to be anywhere else although it'd be a cold day in hell if I said as much to her. However, I did find it a little unsettling to have her rummaging through every last one of my cupboards right when we first got there, and it just made me all the more uncomfortable to realize she was probably looking for any hidden stashes of booze I might have tucked away somewhere. Still, she looked so damn serious about it that I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I'd poured, albeit reluctantly, the remaining contents of whatever I had left down the drain.

Not like I needed her to fuss over me with praise for doing something so simple, after all.

By the time she was satisfied, though, I was already dozing in my bed, and it was only when she wormed her way under my arm that I even remembered she'd been up and about at all. Like always, she barely managed to even say 'good night' before she drifted off to sleep, but even with her slow and steady breathing at my side, I found I couldn't so much as close my eyes. Not that it surprised me any since I hadn't been able to sleep much lately anyway. However, laying there, I had to wonder why everything seemed to be going so damn well. I mean... shouldn't this have been a lot harder?

I'd spent almost half of my life drinking, and yet things were going unusually smooth so far. Sure, I had the shakes along with the occasional craving and I was slightly more irritable than usual, but for the most part, I was doing rather well which wasn't what I'd been expecting. Everyone else made the whole process seem so damn difficult while I was already making good on my promise to myself. Granted it had only been a week, but still...

However, that wasn't really it, was it? I wasn't doing this for myself, after all... because I never was good at doing anything for my own sake. Whenever I tried to 'better myself,' I always ended up regretting it later.

You see, when I finally went to get some schooling, it was only because I wanted out of the factories, and now that I'd gone an' done it... I wanted out of the office. I'd been more than happy to leave the country behind as well, but after being surrounded by concrete for four years straight, I was longing to see a damn cornfield or even a frickin' tree or two that didn't have a little fence around it. I wasn't supposed to be here, and I knew that better than anyone. Of course, that only begs the question of why I'd stuck it out for so long if I hated it so damn much. The answer was simple enough, though.

Claire.

While it may have been hard to believe, the reason for almost every decision I'd made in the past four years was this insanely tiny woman who was laying next to me. From why I was still working for that god damn bitch at the front office to why I'd finally decided to stop drinking, she was the only factor in the equation. I don't know how she managed it, but she had me wound so tight around her finger that I could put up with almost anything. If she wanted something done, I'd do it without question, and that included giving up the one thing that'd become second nature to me.

I only had to pray to whatever god that might be out there who was still willing to listen to me and my bull shit that she wouldn't ask me to give up cigarettes any time soon. After all, I was still gonna need _something_ to distract me from this hell hole I was living in every now and again.

Right then, though, what I needed was some shut eye, but something told me that it was going to be a long wait if it bothered to come at all. That was especially true when a certain someone kept nuzzling into me like I was one of her god damn pillows, and her mumbling my name in her sleep didn't exactly help my situation any, either. Just made me wonder just how she managed on her own all this time without someone to cling to...

Out of habit, I slipped out of bed and headed into the kitchen, but soon enough I remembered that what I was looking for wasn't going to be there waiting for me anymore. All that was left of my past life was the flask that still sat proudly on the top of my fridge, gazing down at me with something of a smug air about it as if it was trying to remind me just how much I needed it. However, what really caught my eye was actually the mysterious book that was propped up against it, but it wasn't just any book that someone had tucked up there alongside my former companion.

It was the same book I'd been reading earlier that very day.

As I brought it down from its perch, my hand passed over the all too familiar cover with the golden eyes gazing back at me, and I just had to smile. Soon enough I was chuckling to myself as well once I opened it up and flipped through it to very the back. There, on the last page, was a small note and signed with her name in the most delicate writing I've ever seen. The message was simple enough, but it really meant a lot to someone like me especially when it came from her.

_Just believe in the green light because it's not that far away from you now. ~Claire_

--

**Author's Note**: With that message, I was trying to draw from the last three paragraphs of _The Great Gatsby. _I thought it was relevant because it refers to Gatsby's willingness to create a name, a past, and an identity that Daisy, the woman for whom he did everything, would approve of. With that in mind, I don't think I need to explain further how that relates to Gray and Claire. :)

And now onto more unnecessary information...

Gray is the second tallest at 6' 2" and he's also one of the oldest people working at the office at 29. He's actually blonde in my interpretation, but that's only because it's what I'm used to from (M)FoMT. From his impressive swearing streaks to his blue-collar mentality and even his steel-toed boots, a large part of Gray's design in this comes from my own dad. However, my dad has a zero alcohol tolerance level which obviously wasn't carried over to Gray's personality. XD


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

"Can you fucking believe it, Elli?" I growled again, throwing back my chair away from the desk. "'I don't have the _time...'_ Just what kind of shit is he trying to pull?!" I continued to rant as I paced the floor. My assistant could only watch helplessly while I did so, but I didn't let myself even glance her way. I couldn't blame the poor woman for being unsure of what to do, of course, since she knew me well enough to understand I wasn't exactly in the mood for any damn conversation. I didn't want any of her advice, either.

All I wanted was to vent.

"I'm fairly certain that Mr. Williams was only being truthful when he told you he would be busy this evening..." she squeaked, a forced smile making its way across her gentle features. I only shot her a piercing glare as soon as she uttered those words, and she immediately shrank back into silence.

"That bastard still could've worded things a little better..." I muttered under my breath before tearing open a new pack for another much needed cigarette. It was my second one, but even if it was gone before noon, I didn't give a rat's ass. I'd just about had it with all the bull shit I had to deal with on a daily basis with this office and these god damn incompetent people. "He's so fucking full of himself... If a damn fine looking woman like myself walked up to you and asked you on a date, wouldn't you drop everything just to go with her?" I demanded as I slammed my fist down on the desk. "Well... _wouldn't you?"_

"Of course I would," a smooth voice replied. Without even having to face him, there wasn't any doubt who that voice happened to belong to, but that person had to just about the last one I wanted to have hovering over me. That rotten son of a bitch...

"Dammit, Kai, no one fucking asked you!" I snapped, my head jerking in his direction just to glare at him. He simply shrugged, but it didn't ease the tension any.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it was a rhetorical question," he assured me as he casually tossed a file on my desk. He smiled then, but although I was still pissed at him for even daring to speak out of turn, I couldn't keep myself from suddenly thinking that there was something peculiar about it. There wasn't any mischief in it... and because of that, that smile he was wearing just didn't seem right at all. Then I began to wonder just what the hell got him so damn depressed all of a sudden since it definitely wasn't normal for him to be that reserved about something like relationship troubles. Where was the usual snark? The suggestive comments? That sleazy grin he got on his face whenever he saw me?

Just what the hell happened to him?

Before I could even ask him, though, he'd walked right out of my office without another word. He really was just like a ghost of his former self if he was so willing to leave it at that, and I had to wonder whether or not I was to blame for it. After all, I was the one to send him off to that touchy-feely camp which was about the only thing I could think of that would bring such a dramatic change in a man like him.

"Ms. Hart... You're looking a little pale." I only glanced over to find that Elli had come to stand at my side, and soon I felt her delicate hand rest on my arm in her usual, comforting way. I still felt cold towards her, though, since I kept dwelling on other things. Like... why couldn't I keep this damn office together? None of these people ever had any discipline around here, and that could only be because of me and my own lack of responsibility. "Ms. Hart? Do you need to go home for today?"

"I'll be alright, Elli," I assured the woman, shrugging her off. "Sometimes you just have to get this kind of shit off your chest and move on," I explained with a heavy sigh. Her warm, brown eyes seemed to glaze over with doubt, but I just couldn't bring myself to actually care what she thought of me or the situation. Although I was tired, her offer didn't comfort me worth a damn. Home was always the last place I wanted to be. "So... you were trying to tell me something earlier. What was it?" I asked, hoping to change the subject to something more routine.

"Oh, yes," she began, her voice becoming soft and uncertain. "I just received a phone call from your sister," she said simply. "She insisted it was urgent, but when I asked her if she wanted to leave a message, she told me that she'd prefer to speak with you in person." Out of nervous habit, the young woman began fussing with her hands. "All she would tell me was that it concerned your father, so I really don't-"

"Then I'll handle it later," I replied as I waved off her concern. When Elli parted her lips to speak again, I only shook my head. "Tina knows I don't like to talk during working hours, so she can just wait for a couple hours until lunch."

"But-"

"Enough!" I snapped, causing her to jump. "If I said I'll handle it later, I'll handle it later, so just get the hell back to work..." I muttered as I struggled to bring myself back under control. However, she still stood there in a state of shock for a moment, and once again, I let my temper overwhelm me. _"Now!"_

My harsh words were more than enough to send the little woman scurrying out of my office, but as soon as she shut the door behind her, I immediately regretted ever barking at her in the first place. It certainly wasn't her fault that things just seemed to be falling apart around here, not to mention in my own personal life, and yet I'd still gone off on the one person who hadn't turned away from me and my irritable nature. However, I still felt my blood boil to think of what I had to do next since quite frankly... I'd never wanted much of anything to do with my younger sister. She was too much like my mother for me to keep my patience for very long when it came to dealing with her. I really had no choice this time, though...

Because when it came to the old man, I could never ignore him for long.

--

"Ma'am... I'm afraid we'll be closing soon," a young woman squeaked, her tiny voice straining with great effort to even speak to me. I only nodded as I stood from where I'd been sitting in the shoe aisle, wobbling a bit on my heels while I did so. I couldn't really explain why I'd even come to the place, but I guess that wasn't all that surprising when I didn't even know the store's name. However, that wasn't all that unusual for me since I often did this sort of thing with my free time. I drove from store to store, occasionally stopping by a restaurant or bar along the way as well, but I never had any real reason behind it...

Stepping outside, I realized that I'd gone into a Sears of all places. Being the woman that I was, it was clear I must've been desperate for a distraction if I was trying to hide out in bargain basement retail. I knew I didn't have many options left, though, especially on a Wednesday night. Glancing at my new Rolex which I'd only bought that day for reasons I couldn't even begin to explain, I wasn't surprised to find that it was a few minutes after nine. There was still that same damn thought that I need another place to lose myself for a while before finally admitting defeat and going home. After all, wasn't I supposed to be living the high life instead of playing little Miss Darling with only her matching curtains and table sets to keep her happy?

Even if I couldn't go to the clubs until four in the morning every night like I did in my younger days, I still had no intentions of letting myself slow down. I had some youth in me yet, dammit, and I wasn't going to let myself just waste away like my mother had.

Nancy hadn't been one to live for herself, and I knew that for a fact if only because that's what she told us every day. "I live for my family, and that's enough," she would always say whenever someone asked her why she decided to be nothing more than a housewife.

Married at seventeen, having two children by the time she was twenty-one... She never once held a job, and so any time she wanted something, she'd go straight to my father to ask before she'd even consider treating herself. It was clear to me and everyone else that he didn't give a rat's ass whether his wife wanted to buy a new dress or not, but for whatever reason, she still had that need to be told that it was alright for her to do something for herself. Whether it be her parents, her husband, or even her own children, she would always make sure it was alright with them before she ever made a decision...

Dying at forty-nine because of an unexpected brain aneurysm, it was like she was there one minute and gone the next, and yet my life still went on as if everything was still normal after her death a year ago. My father on the other hand...

Well, being as the good die young, I was pretty damn sure he'd be around for a while yet.

_"Can't you at least come to the funeral?"_ my sister's voice had demanded on the other line._ "You skipped out on Mom's, too, but I thought you'd be less selfish by now..."_ Then there'd been a frustrated sigh before she snapped,_ "Not everything's about _you!"

Of course I knew it wasn't, but the thought of that man being in a casket was almost too much for me without even actually seeing him there in person. Or whatever you wanted to call what he'd become. He was only fifty-seven, and while I guess it wasn't surprising that he'd been taken out by a heart attack, it just seemed too damn soon. The bastard should've outlived me although I guess it would be like him just to off himself to spite his oldest daughter. After all, I had to get my bitterness from _somebody._

That was when I finally decided just to let it go, all of it. I didn't cry, of course, because I just wasn't the kind of woman who could do that sort of thing. I was the cold-hearted bitch, the boss you just love to hate, and everything in between which meant I did _not_ cry. Ever.

Unfortunately, I was so damn busy thinking that I didn't even notice I was making my way back to the same place I'd been so determined to avoid. However, none of that shit really mattered when I got a good look at the black mustang parked just outside my condo. _That son of a bitch..._

"Kai, what the hell are you doing here?" I hissed as I stormed up to him. He'd been waiting for me over by the front doors, slouched against the cement wall with a cigarette in his hand like some teenage has been, but at first he didn't say anything. He just flipped open his phone and showed it to me. Although I had to squint to read the damn screen, there was clearly a text message written out. Unlike most I'd seen, this was understandable as well without any of that 'chat speak' nonsense, so of course that could mean only one thing. "You got this from Tina?" I asked doubtfully, wishing that my younger sister could learn to just mind her own damn business. Especially if she had to involve _him_ of all people.

"Yeah... she told me you shut off your phone and asked if I'd find you for her," he explained with a shrug as he passed off his cancer stick to me and turned away. "Apparently she had me under her emergency contacts," he added with a chuckle before he fell back into that new uncomfortable silence of his. "Sorry about your dad," he said almost as an afterthought. I knew he didn't mean it, though, if only because he had no idea what it was like to even have one, let alone lose him.

"Whatever..." I muttered under my breath while running my fingers back though my bangs. "Just tell her I'm fine, and... Wait, how the hell does she know your number anyway?" I asked, the cigarette dangling from my lips.

"Don't you remember setting us up a few years back?" he replied, tilting his head to the side. I just stared blankly at him. "Well, in any case, she just wanted to make sure you're alright, so I guess I'll be going then." Just like that, he was finished with both his task and me, but he'd apparently forgotten that I didn't tell him to leave just yet. Something told me he wouldn't mind staying, though... especially with what I was offering in return for his company.

"How about you come on up for a while, Kai..." I mused with the most seductive smile I could muster as I leaned my shoulder against the wall. "After all, you _did_ go out of your way just to come here." The man hesitated for a moment, and for a while, he just stood with his back turned to me on the sidewalk seemingly lost in thought. Or maybe he was just weighing his options. Either way, when he glanced back at me over his shoulder, I felt a chill snake its way down my spine. I wasn't sure if it was even possible, but... he seemed to even more of a creep than before with the way he was looking at me. If you ask me, I'd say it was somewhere between...

Pitiful and god damn desperate.

"Sounds like fun," he agreed. He also smiled, but it was just about as fake as mine if not more so. Used to be that slime ball would shoot up there before I could even get my god damn keys out of my purse, and now here he was acting like he was doing me a small favor by sticking around. Having him just bum around the place would still be a hell of a lot better than me staying there on my own, though. Besides... something told me he'd come around to his usual way of thinking sooner or later. He always did.

My pent house might've been one of the more expensive options uptown, but when we came inside, it was painfully obvious I hadn't been there for quite some time. Everything was so god damn clean that I nearly fell on my ass on the hardwood floor on my way in, and the whole space seemed to sparkle as if someone had taken a wax buffer to it. Hell, my leather couch didn't even have a dent in it. Of course, that wasn't surprising since I never had any company to break in the cushions to begin with.

"Grace, are you really sure about this?" Kai asked, stifling what seemed to be a yawn. I just glanced over to see he was already unbuttoning his shirt, but I could only roll my eyes and chuckle. I'd completely forgotten about that habit of his. He was like a cat that couldn't be collared with the way he'd shuck the thing as soon as he got inside. Not that I minded... After all, he made things a hell of a lot easier for me once we got going. The less I had to touch him, the better as far as I was concerned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I huffed, tapping off the ashes of my cigarette. He only continued to stare vacantly at me, but that look said it all. He felt sorry for me. As if Grace Hart would ever need that from anyone... especially _him_ of all people. "Just get your ass in there," I ordered, not even bothering to see if he actually did it.

"You act like you bought me off the street," he chuckled. Even as he said it, though, he was already on his way into my bedroom, but he was so damn dense that I knew I had to call him out on it. Otherwise he might just forget what the hell he was here to do.

"That's because you're a whore," I replied smugly before taking one last drag. "If some girl calls you up, you're right there. No questions asked." And he was always eager to please, too. Sure, I gave Kai a little more incentive this time, but it didn't really matter. Hell... I could've just thanked him for his troubles, and I could guarantee that shameless bastard would still expect for me to bring him up for some hot coffee. The only reason he didn't do the same tonight was because I'd beat him to it for once, and even then I had my suspicions that he was just trying to play the 'nice' guy.

"I better stop doing this for free then!" he laughed, his voice somewhat distant. It would figure he'd already gotten into bed... the skank. However, when I finally came into the room, it was obvious Kai was only trying to rile me. After all, unless he really was a slut, there wasn't any reason for him to be laying down like _that._

His back was turned to me, but the way my pink, satin sheets just slipped right off his tanned shoulders and pooled onto the small of his back suggested a hell of a lot more since it just reminded me of one of those classic centerfolds he kept stashed under his bed. The son of a bitch even glanced back at me with those brown eyes of his as if he was just trying his damnedest to prove me wrong about him being a selfish, narcissistic jack ass.

Which, not surprisingly, just pissed me the hell off.

"God dammit, Kai..." I muttered under my breath while shaking my head in defeat. "What's with the fucking doe eyes all of a sudden?" He only looked at me curiously as if he had no idea what I was talking about, but I wasn't so easily convinced that he actually had nothing up his sleeve for tonight. He had to be scheming _something_, after all. "As if you really don't give a shit what-"

"I don't," he assured me, picking up one of my burnt out cigarettes from the ashtray that lay beside the bed. "I only came up here because you asked," he explained with a shrug. Then, obviously trying to change the subject, he began mumbled something about me not being a 'pink' person... whatever the hell that meant. I only glared at him, though, because I was still trying to figure out exactly what the hell had happened to the man to completely turn around his whole way of thinking. After all, I knew that people like us didn't change. We always remained the same even if it meant screwing shit up for other people, and now he'd gone and done what I'd always thought was impossible.

"Wait a minute... since when do _you_ smoke, Kai?" I asked just as he brought the butt end of the cancer stick to his lips and rested it between his teeth.

"Since I actually started thinking about things," he sighed before tossing it away and burying his face into one of my pillows. That only left me wondering just what kind of things he was going over inside that thick skull of his, but when he didn't say anything else, I just tossed myself down on the bed next to him. "So... did you ask me to come up here because you wanted _me_, or because Vaughn told you 'no?'" he murmured into the fabric still stifling his face.

"Kai..." I growled, laying my arm across my eyes. "Just shut the hell up." I didn't really care if he knew or not although, knowing him, that was exactly the opposite of what he would think. However, getting right down to it, the only reason I didn't want to tell him either was because I knew he'd want to talk about it. You just couldn't give him a simple answer and expect him to leave it at that. Hell no. He'd always find a way to get under your skin until you told him exactly what he wanted to know, and then you'd be cursing yourself for even letting him push you that far in the first place.

Even with that being the case, maybe that's just what I needed tonight seeing as everything had decided to go to shit all of a sudden.

Just when I was about to tell him everything I was feeling right then, though, I rolled over to see that the man had actually fallen asleep. Normally I would've guessed he was only trying to shit me, but the fact that he didn't even move after I jabbed him in the arm was enough to convince me he was out for the night. After all, once Kai drifted out, it was next to impossible to wake him up again until morning came around. Figures that the bastard would fall asleep just when I actually considered talking to him in the first place.

All I could do then was lay there and wonder what the hell I was going to do the next day. After all, by the sounds of it, Tina wasn't just going to let me off about the funeral this time around, and if I found myself actually heading home for once, I'd need someone to cover things for me at the office. God knows I couldn't expect the place to still be standing if I left that group of idiots to handle things on their own...

The only trouble was in finding someone else who could handle it.

Glancing over towards my alarm clock, I found that it was only just past midnight, and I reached for the phone resting beside it. While I already knew she would probably try and tell me that I'd woken her up, I also knew damn well she'd be full of shit, so there wasn't any real reason for me _not_ to call her. Besides... it'd been a while since we last talked to one another on civil terms.

"Hey, Nami, I've got a favor to ask..."

--

**Author's Note:** Grace is actually rather tall for a woman at 5' 8" which might be another reason why she's attracted to Vaughn who stands at an impressive 6' 6." Although she's never told anyone, she actually got herself a breast reduction after suffering back strain in both middle and high school, and yet she's still sized at a DD. She's also a very curvy woman with some delicious meat on her bones.

Oddly enough, Grace was originally going to be a lesbian hence her close relationship with Elli, not to mention her annoyance with Kai and the other men in the office. If not in general. However, as these things have a habit of doing from time to time, her interest in Vaughn developed on its own, and so did her former relationship with Kai. The latter of the two was on a purely physical basis, though.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

"It's been two weeks, Kai..." my friend sighed as he slumped back into his chair. "I haven't seen or heard from her at all." I glanced up from my desk, still idly flipping through the catalogue he'd just given me, and what I saw upon doing so was very sad indeed. Poor ol' Denny was sitting there looking more ragged than ever, but maybe I only thought that because he'd actually been trying to better himself in the past month or so. After all, while he definitely wasn't at his best, it could've been a lot worse. At least he'd gone out and bought himself some new clothes for once even if he still never ironed them. Something told me that wouldn't be changing any time soon, though.

"Ever think that maybe she's just trying to figure things out?" I offered, lending him a reassuring smile. He only sighed again before trying to run his fingers through his hair, but even though he'd cut it recently, he still hit a snag like always. "All I'm saying is to give the little lady some more time to get her life situated," I explained, reclining back into my own chair. "It's a hell of a lot better than driving yourself up a wall wondering what she's up to every day."

"Maybe..." he reluctantly agreed with yet another sigh. That far off gaze of his made it clear that he was still worried over the woman which made it even harder for me not to at least chuckle about his impatience. Kids these days... Like he could really expect her to just drop everything for him and a life of welfare. Not that I was knocking it, of course, since it seemed to be her best option at the moment. Nothing wrong getting a little bit of help to get back on your feet especially after a fall like that.

"Just give it another week," I encouraged him with an even broader grin and a wink. "She's a lot like you, you know..." Denny blinked as if he couldn't see the connection I was trying to make, but I only chuckled and shook my head. Was he really that dense? After all, it was pretty obvious to me that neither one of them was very confident when it came to these things. His face reddened a little, but I only laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you two'll figure it out sooner or later."

He only nodded even though I figured he still didn't understand what I was saying, but I wasn't sure how to make it any clearer for him. Before I could even try to explain things to him for his own sake, though, my phone began to beep with an incoming call, and he quietly slipped out of the room. However, I still hesitated to pick up, but when I saw the number, I knew I didn't have much of a choice. After all, I couldn't really turn down good business being that I was still at work for another hour.

"Moon Industries, Kai Makani speaking," I droned as I leaning over my desk and massaged the bridge of my nose in annoyance. I swear the damn thing still hurt even after it had supposedly healed...

"Kai, it's Aja," a sweet voice rang through the speaker, clearing my thoughts of my friend's predicament. I tried my best not to sigh, but it was just as painful to smile to know who I was speaking to right then. While she was a nice enough girl, she had a bad habit of running her mouth just as much as I did. Unfortunately for the two of us, I wasn't really myself these past few days, or I might've been able to enjoy some nice conversation since she was easily one of my favorite clients to work with. Like I said, a nice girl. "I just needed to ask you something about that last order."

"Something wrong?" I replied. I'd never fucked up an order before, but by the sound of her voice, I'd probably done exactly that. However, the reason I made said mistake was a complete mystery to me. "Didn't you order a C-37?" I asked thoughtfully as I rolled back in my chair to reach into one of my drawers for my records. I usually had a good memory when it came to these things, so it wasn't really a surprise to see that was exactly what I'd written down in my ledger. That still didn't explain what the problem was, though...

"Yeah, but you sent me an A-71," she explained which caught me completely off guard. I sat there for a moment, my mind racing to sort out what went where and who had what, but as I thought it over, I realized that for the first time... I had no friggin' clue.

"An A-71..." I mumbled to myself again as if that might jog my memory. Nothing came to me, of course, but that only frustrated me more. How the hell could I screw something up like that when it should've been second nature? After all, it was the part that needed purchasing the most often... "Give me a second," told the woman before putting her on hold.

While I knew what I needed to do to find my mistake, I couldn't really say I was all that willing to go into the other office to get the information necessary. Not with knowing exactly who and what I'd have to deal with anyway... Still, Aja was good to me when it came to purchasing though me first, so I knew it was in my best interest to help her out especially when I was the one who screwed up in the first place. Even with that being the case, it wasn't any easier for me to go in and have to ask Claire for some help.

Of course, having Gray standing there with her didn't really help matters any, either.

I'd already known it was going to be rough since the young woman had been giving me the cold shoulder lately, but the glare I was getting from him made me break into something of a cold sweat. The fact his eyes seemed to be straining in their very sockets just to see me there made the chill even worse. I still tried to stand my ground, though, since I was there strictly for business reasons. As long as he knew that as well, I figured we shouldn't have any problems for the time being. Or at least... that's what I was hoping for being that he didn't look all that willing to be civil with me under these or any circumstances at the moment.

"Claire, I just had a-"

"That's 'Miss Muller' to _you,_ Kai," she corrected me, her voice just like ice. I flinched slightly, but I did my best to smile all the same. This was going to be even more difficult than I first thought apparently...

"Uh... right," I agreed somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck out of nervous habit. "All I need is to see the records from last week," I explained as I continued to keep that smile plastered on my face. "It won't take me long," I assured them, "so if you'll just let me take a quick look, I'll-"

"Just tell us what you're looking for," Gray muttered when I went to take a step over towards the file cabinet next to her desk. "You can wait out in the hall." I struggled to keep myself from rolling my eyes, but I did what I was told regardless of how childish it was. However, he still didn't hesitate to put himself between Claire and me with his arms crossed over his chest as if to dare me to even try to take a step into that office with her present in the room. What the hell did he think I was going to do to her? It wasn't like I was plotting to steal her away from him any time soon... if ever. They'd done their best to keep things quiet, but I was pretty damn sure it was obvious to everyone here what was going on between the two of them.

Even if she hadn't told me about their little date, the way his gaze softened around her was proof enough of that.

"Fine. All I need to know is if I order a C-37 on Thursday," I explained with an aggravated sigh. After getting a stiff nod from her man, Claire pulled open the bottom drawer, but I could only linger in the doorway like some sad puppy waiting for some damn kibble. Something told me Gray would've liked for me to sit up and beg for it, too.

"Not by the looks of it," she replied. She scanned the printout once more before shaking her head. "The only thing you ordered last week was an-"

"A-71, huh?" I sighed, already heading back out the door. "Thanks." The woman might've been offended to have me cut her off so sharply, but if they wanted nothing to do with me, then I wasn't going to stick around longer than necessary. There wasn't any getting back with her, so it wasn't my place to even care at this point. Let her fall in love with another guy who wasn't worth her time because I was done.

I was done with women, every last one of 'em...

Still, at the very least I wouldn't have to worry that I sent another wrong part elsewhere, and all it would take to fix the problem was ordering the right one. I'd just have Aja send me back the C-37 in exchange for whatever she needed. Since it was a commonly used item as well, I could easily sell it to whoever happened to ask for it next, and that would be that. A simple miscommunication with a simple solution. There would be no tears, no screaming, no pointing fingers... Just a little tact and some business sense.

Too bad the rest of my life couldn't be so damn easy because I really would've appreciated that comfort right about then. I was just tired of all the bull shit, I guess. What was the point of trying to play the nice guy when I knew I was only going to fail again? Just not worth the trouble.

Convincing myself of that entirely was the real problem, though.

Most of my life had been spent with other people, women preferably of course, and now I'd been put on the outs just because of that lifestyle. It wasn't like I intended to love 'em and leave 'em occasionally, but there were still times when it just happened without me even realizing it. There wasn't supposed to be any hurt feelings left behind, and yet I couldn't always help it that there were. Even though I truly loved each and every one of them in some small way, those feelings could never be expected to last forever. Maybe one day they would for some girl, but that day just hadn't come around yet. Wasn't it better for me to tell them like it is than lie about it for months on end anyway?

Or did I have it wrong this whole time? Hell, by the way everyone was treating me, maybe I _should've_. Maybe then i wouldn't be the odd one out, and when a girl finally dumped me, I could walk away without being the jerk, the asshole, the son of a bitch...

With that thought, my fist came down hard on my front door which sent a streak of pain racing through my arm. I didn't really care much, though, because at least it did what I was hoping for. As if being brought out of some bitter nightmare, my body rightened itself out of the slumped position I'd been in all day, and I shook off any remaining doubts and for a moment. Those unwanted thoughts come back soon enough, of course, but for now, I had a little peace of mind. How Denny managed to think so much, I couldn't even begin to imagine. No wonder he was depressed until he met that young woman.

Best of luck to him... the poor bastard.

Standing there in the middle of my empty apartment, I was finally beginning to understand how Grace must've felt every time she came home to that pent house of hers. Loneliness was something I'd never dealt with before, and yet even experiencing the feeling for the first time, I knew I didn't want to have it ever again. No wonder she was always so willing to call me in the middle of the night for some late company.

I didn't really know why she bothered with someone like me, though. So what if she couldn't get with Vaughn yet? There still had to be better options for her out there than me, and I probably knew that better than anyone.

Things like this never used to bother me, but maybe that meant some good actually came out of that situation with Claire. In any case, she seemed to be a lot happier which was nice enough I guess. I actually smiled softly to myself just to think how cute she was these days with a new man in her life. She had always always such a sweet kid... but that's probably where I'd gone wrong in the end. Thinking like that was exactly what made me so selfish in the first place.

Assuming I was the best man she'd ever had, letting things slide because I didn't want to deal with her problems... I was such an ass. And yet I knew she would still forgive me after the dust had settled although I really had no clue as to why she'd do such a thing for me. While I was getting good and angsty, though, there came a knock at the door, and I decided to let those thoughts go for now.

"Rick... and just when I thought my day couldn't get any shittier," I mused with a sly grin as I leaned in the open doorway. The man glared at me as usual, but then his gaze softened ever so slightly behind those thick lenses of his before he let loose a heavy sigh. "So what do you need from me?" I asked smugly. "If you're looking for your wife, I haven't seen her around here."

"I know," he replied confidently. "She's still at work." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to hear that since it was well past six right then. It was obviously too early for her to be going to the club, but she should've been back from the supermarket for the day by this time. That left just one answer, and we both knew what it was even if I was the only one out of the two of us who was willing to say it aloud.

"Did she run off again?" I pressed, trying my best to keep a solemn expression on my face. Her husband frowned then and narrowed his eyes, but I just had to pity the man knowing full well that it was pointless for him to deny it. After all, Karen was well known for disappearing every now and then. Although she usually wasn't too hard to find, I could only imagine how frustrating it had to be for the man to have to keep track of her all the time. "I can help you look for her," I offered in a selfish attempt to get out of my own apartment for a while.

"No, it's alright," Rick assured me with a sigh before putting his hands in his pockets. "I do need a favor, though..." he confessed quietly while reaching up with one hand to run his fingers through his hair. I waited a bit longer for him to gather up the will to continue, and at last he spoke again although I hadn't really expected the question he'd come to me with. "Could you watch the kids for me until my sister shows up?"

At first, I just stared at him since that was about the last thing I would've expected to come out of the man's mouth, but given the redness that'd crept into his face, it was a safe bet he was being serious. Also made me realize that he must've been pretty desperate to find his wife if he was willing to come to see me for that kind of thing. "Are you sure you want me keeping an eye on them?" I asked, raising a brow doubtfully.

"Who the hell _can_ I ask? he demanded with a huff. "If you're not gonna help, then-"

"I never said I wasn't," I reminded him, cutting the argument short. "Now... you just go find the Misses, and I'll stick around to watch the kids." He muttered his thanks under his breath which surprisingly didn't kill him right then and there, and without another word, he was soon making his way down the stairwell. I, on the other hand, stood there in the hallway for a bit longer just wondering whether I should put my shirt back on or not. After all, wasn't like those kids hadn't seen me shirtless before... Not that I was proud of that fact by any means.

Finally I just opted to throw one on for some sake of decency although I still didn't bother to button it up. However, when I stepped into the family's apartment, I wondered if maybe I was overdressed for the occasion. Either Rick had to leave in one hell of a hurry, or those little terrors of his were making preparations for all out war in the living room for when their mom got back.

Sofa cushions were propped up on their sides on both ends of the couch, and because of the small size of the cramped space, they could reach either wall without trouble. By the looks of it, they'd also used every blanket in the place since the things stretched their way across the whole room without much trouble. Of course that meant all the chairs from the kitchen were missing as well, including the baby's high chair, just to hold them up, but it only made me smile to see all the effort they'd gone through for this. The two children had even put stuffed animals out at various posts to keep any would-be intruders out of their fortress, myself included no doubt.

The brother had sister were oddly quiet when I came in, though. I only figured they were choosing to hide out like they usually did on the off chance I happened to come over to see their mother for a little while, but I knew they'd come out sooner or later. Natalie would probably be the first one to do so, and I could only imagine what she'd have to say to me once she showed herself. Whatever it was, it promised to be entertaining at the very least.

In the mean time, I figured I'd entertain myself by checking up on little Julia. While I shouldn't have been so familiar with the room in the first place, I didn't even have to look to find the light switch, and soon enough the room was bathed in a fluorescent yellow glow. As I'd predicted, the two beds were completely stripped of their covers, but I only chuckled to see the result of the kids' playful antics. However, that hint of sound was all it took to wake the baby which didn't really surprise me all that much. She was apparently a very light sleeper even if she didn't exactly cry out like most babies probably would've.

Luckily for me, I'd been smart enough to end my relationship with Karen long before the baby girl was even born, so she didn't seem to be threatened by me peering down at her. Her blue eyes were simply filled with wonder as I reached into the crib to pick her up. She even gave me something of a smile just to see a new face hovering over her little body. However, the moment was rather short lived since her sister came storming into the room with her brother reluctantly in tow.

"Whada doin' to my sisser, you fucker?" she demanded, her voice sharp like the one her father often used with me. Although most people would've been shocked to hear a girl her age talking to an adult, or anyone for that matter, with that kind of mouth, I only laughed when she said it. Rick was really going to have his hands full with this one, it seemed.

"Just getting her something to eat," I reassured her with a smile. "Speaking of which... are you two hungry?" I asked in the hopes of appeasing her a bit further. "I can make pizza if you guys want." While Elliot immediately smiled to hear my offer, his sister only scowled and crossed her arms out in front of her.

"I want macaroni and cheese," she grumbled, glaring up at me with those fierce green eyes of hers.

"Natalie..." I sighed as I struggled to keep the smile on my face. "You know your brother can't eat that." Even while I knew full well that I could've easily given the boy a pill for his lactose intolerance, I was still trying to keep things simple, but this girl was already hell bent on making things difficult for me apparently. At least with pizza I could scrape off the cheese for him, and he could enjoy the toppings to make up for his loss. "I'll be right back," I told them, shifting the infant over to my other arm. "So you two clean up your toys, okay?"

Leaving the kids probably wasn't the best thing for me to do since, given her current attitude, Natalie would most likely think to lock me out of the apartment, but all I could really do was shove a stuffed bunny in the doorway in the hopes it would stay put. Still, with me keeping their baby sister hostage, maybe her two siblings wouldn't be so keen on keeping me shut out. One could only hope, I guess.

Julia simply stared up at me while I ducked back into my apartment for ingredients, and it wasn't hard for me to keep smiling back at her. She was unbelievably quiet although I still had no idea where she got _that_ from. Probably not her parents since both of them were just about as loud and obnoxious as I was over half the time.

She really must've been one hell of a blessing in that house.

When I came back to the door, that thought was only emphasized by the fact that a certain little bitch had decided to listen to me for once. After all, Natalie did in fact put her toys away which, oddly enough, also included the bunny I'd shoved in the doorway. Of course she'd also thought it was a good idea to turn not only the standard lock, that I easily carded, but the deadlock as well, and that left me standing there with baby in one arm and groceries in the other out in the middle of the hall biting my tongue just to try and keep myself from cussing myself a blue streak. If nothing else, that brat wasn't going to be easily fooled by any man by the time she got old enough to know what to do with them... That was for sure.

After letting a few choice curses slip, I was just about ready to try my luck with bribing Elliot in getting the door open for me. Instead, though, I ended up all but jumping out of my skin because right then I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. However, I was even more shocked to see a starling, though oddly familiar, pair of bright red eyes gazing back at me. Those pink curls of hers weren't exactly hard to miss, either. Not surprisingly, the gentle face that greeted me was that of a woman, but what shocked me was the fact that I'd seen this same woman not too long ago with no intention of ever seeing it again. If she could get me into the apartment, though, I didn't really care _who_ she was.

"Fancy meeting you here, Popuri," I chuckled, offering her the most charming smile I could manage. She hesitated for a moment as a befuddled expression passed over her features, but that only lasted until she saw the baby cradled in my arm.

"Oh, so you're the neighbor my brother said would be watching them," she mused with a smile just as warm as my own. When I nodded in agreement, she giggled and held out her arms. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, Mr. Makani, but you know how it is during the summer with road construction." I assured her that it was perfectly alright as I clumsily handed the child off to her, and with that, I figured our conversation was over. However, when she toyed with the handle for a moment, she soon gave me a rather curious look and asked,

"Didn't Rick give you the keys?"

--

**Author's Note:** Even though I feel like that was an awkward way to end this chapter, I couldn't really think of how else to close it. Maybe something will come to me later... but all I know is that I'm just happy to have updated with something I think is at least half-way decent.

Concerning more extra information, Kai just brushes the 6' mark, but as I've tried to hint at, he's slightly intimidated by men who are taller than him. This is probably because he's more of a lover than a fighter, and he tends to get in trouble with these individuals for a myriad of reasons, usually concerning his unfortunate reputation as a playboy. Although he's usually not too worried about it, he's actually supposed to be around 30 in this story. However, he lies about it at the office saying he's 27. After all, he's not about to admit he's older than Gray. X3

My biggest worry is that people assume he's just dating all these women without genuinely caring about them. It's actually the complete opposite, and I hope I can find a way to convey that by the end of this.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"I think I'm obsessing..." I murmured to myself as I laid down for yet another restless night. In the past two and a half weeks, the only sleep I ever got was in the afternoons out of pure exhaustion, and because of that, it was even harder for me to fall asleep like a normal person when I was supposed to. It didn't take much thought to figure out what the problem was, of course, but that didn't mean I wanted to admit to it. After all, what did I know about Chelsea anyway?

She was divorced and raising a small child on her own while dealing with some financial problems. That was more or less all I knew when it came to the otherwise mysterious woman and her life, and yet if that was the case...

Then why was it that I couldn't get the image of that sad smile of hers out of my head?

Her stormy blue eyes as they lost their usual luster and the downcast gaze that always followed... The gentleness of her voice as her lips parted without her ever showing her teeth as she spoke... Even the way her auburn hair often fell into her face, bangs and all... I could picture them so vividly in my mind, and yet that realization only made me disgusted with myself. I didn't even feel like I had the right to think about her which just added to my frustration. It shouldn't have been a problem, but for whatever reason, it was really becoming one. Too bad I couldn't just forget about it all together and move on with my life.

Maybe it was those _other_ thoughts that were keeping me awake, though. If I described what I'd seen in my dreams, I wouldn't doubt whoever listened to me would be disgusted with me as well. Then again... Kai probably wouldn't be, but he wasn't exactly the best person to go to given his dating record, especially in the past few months.

"Kuu, come over here," I whispered, sitting up on the mattress. Even in the darkness, I only had to listen for the soft fluttering of wings to know he was on his way over. However, I nearly threw myself to the end of the bed when I head a small clang against the frame and the thud on the floor that followed. "Are you alright?" I asked breathlessly, straining my eyes to search for him.

Gently, I bent over the railing and scooped my little buddy up into one hand, but I had to wait until I felt him shake himself before I could finally sigh with relief to know he was alright. "Knocked yourself pretty good there, didn't you?" I mused as I flopped back onto my bed. When I did so, I nailed myself on the headboard just behind me. A few choices words didn't exactly help ebb the pain any, though.

"Do you think I'm worrying too much?" I asked my small companion after I regained my own senses.

The only answer I got was the silence of the room, and so I just sighed and lost myself in the inky blackness that surrounded me for a while longer. There was nothing but the sound of my own breathing and the occasional slap of the blinds in the summer breeze, but even so, their rhythm was enough to lull me into a more peaceful state of mind at last.

My next problem would be waiting for me in the morning, though.

--

"So you woke up and he was just gone?" my companion asked, tapping the table with his finger. "That doesn't sound right... not with it being him and all."

"I know and that's why I'm worried," I agreed with a heavy sigh. "I leave the windows open all the time, and he's never tried to break out of the screens before..." I sighed again and rested my head on the back of my chair, but it didn't do much to relieve the stress. Kuu was gone, and even though there was a good chance he'd come back, I still couldn't convince myself of that entirely. The lack of sleep wasn't helping matters any, either. I couldn't even focus in on much of anything without everything going blurry and giving me a headache.

"Here's some aspirin, hun," Muffy cooed, sitting down next to me. As soon as the tablets hit the table, I felt my stomach churn, but luckily, Kai was kind enough to sweep his hand over them discreetly enough that she didn't realize he'd done anything at all. "Now what's up with you boys today? Seems like everyone's having problems..."

"Everyone as in who?" he asked. "We're the only ones here."

"Well, Vaughn's not holding up all that well, either," she replied. While Kai went stiff to hear the man's name, I only glanced over to the back table to find him sitting there brooding as usual. However, it seemed like he was doing even more of it since he'd already made it through three cigarettes from the time he'd sat down. When he caught me staring, he immediately gave me a stern glare, but I didn't look away.

"And he isn't always like that?" my friend muttered. Our waitress didn't seem to be too happy to hear that remark, but I was actually inclined to agree with him for once. After all, Vaughn wasn't known for being in a good mood very often.

"Not really. I can usually get a sentence or two out of him, but he's being awfully quiet today..." Kai and I simply exchanged a look. "He's been going through a divorce apparently," she whispered, masking the fact by taking a sip of my friend's iced tea. Then she stole a glance in the man's direction before adding one last bit of gossip. "His ex is asking for more money. Can you believe it?"

"Maybe she needs it." Both Kai and Muffy's full attention suddenly fell on me as soon as I offered my opinion on the matter, and I could only shrink back further into my seat. "After all, we don't really know the whole situation..."

"You _know_ her?" the woman pried, all but clawing the tabletop with her acrylic nails. I just took a sip of my coffee, but apparently she was going to make her own decision about things if I didn't give her an answer. "That office of yours must be tense these days... There's so much drama going around!" I tried not to roll my eyes, and yet I ended up doing it anyway since I honestly did find her eagerness to be a little much at the moment.

"How do you know that anyway, Muffy?" Kai asked, stealing one of my fries. "Did he tell you in one or two sentences today?"

"Oh, shush, you," she huffed. "Vaughn is a quiet man, but he's not so bad." Once again, my friend and I shared another glance. "You two are terrible," she sighed as she rolled her big green eyes. "Have either of you even tried to talk to him?"

"The only time he talks is when he's pissed off at something," my companion grumbled, slouching in his chair. "The rest of the time he just glares at people." I almost laughed if only because it was completely true, but then he had to go and turn the conversation against me. "Denny knows him better than I do, though."

"He didn't talk much then, either," I sighed before taking a long drink of my coffee. "We went to the same high school, but we never said anything to each other."

"Wait, I thought he'd be older than you..." Muffy said thoughtfully, glancing back in his direction. "I can't even imagine him a a teenager."

"If you can't see that, then just think of him with black hair," I mused with a smile. Her eyes widened when I mentioned it, and she all but flipped her chair just to get another good look at the man. I only smiled since that was pretty much every woman's reaction on the off chance I mentioned it. Even if I didn't exactly understand the attraction myself, women always seemed to leave the impression that he was- more in Kai's words than mine- 'the hottest damn thing around.'

"Did he ever have a-"

"Not that I know of," I replied, "but like I said... we didn't really talk." A few words every now and then maybe, but outside of that, we rarely even passed one another in the hall. The only reason people put us in the same context most of the time was because he and I were both loners in our own right.

Although I'd learned soon after I was put into foster care that I preferred to hide out at the docks, I'd often heard the man frequented the streets. If you were ever looking for Vaughn, people used to say he'd always find you first, and that's usually how it was. No one really knew where he went or what he did, but everyone was sure that it was exactly what he wanted.

That didn't stop the rumors, of course.

Some said he was a member in a gang which I guess wasn't all that surprising in the middle of a city like this, but there were others who thought he was easily above anything of that nature. He was too crafty for that, or so they always said. There wasn't much of an alternative, though. Unless you could actually believe that a man like Vaughn would have an interest in the occult...

"You were pretty chatty back there," Kai chuckled as we made our way out of the diner. "You never talk that much about anyone."

"He's interesting," I explained with a shrug. "You never really know what he's thinking."

"You sure it's not something more," my friend teased, resting a hand on my shoulder. Then he brought his face alongside my own and grinned, but I just tried to ignore him. That wasn't very easy, though, especially when I knew what he was trying to imply. "After all, I've only ever seen you get _this_ interested in Chelsea... and we both know how you feel about _her."_

"Kai, that has to be one of the stupidest things you've ever said," I muttered, glancing away. While I was trying not to let him have the benefit of being the one to fluster me, he only laughed to see how red my face had gotten. Rotten bastard...

"Just keep telling yourself that, buddy... I'm sure your girlfriend will understand!"

"I'm going home..." I sighed as I shook my head. "I can't deal with this today." My friend stopped laughing as soon as I mentioned it, but he didn't seem to believe me at first. When he realized I was being serious, though, he got something of a hurt look on his face. "I'm not mad at you," I assured him with a weak smile.

"Then why are you going home?" he asked. I didn't answer at first since I was too busy gazing up at the sky. There were just enough clouds up there to keep the sun off me for the most part, so I couldn't help but think it was too nice of a day to waste in the mailroom. Especially since I was so out of it to start with. However, I knew the _real_ reason behind wanting the afternoon off...

"Don't you think it's a good day for fishing?"

--

It'd been a while since I last picked up a pole, but when I sat down at the end of the dock, everything seemed to fall right into place. The soft breeze, the water smooth as glass, the gentle lapping of the boats... Everything was perfectly serene.

"This is just what I needed..." I sighed wistfully, closing my eyes for a moment. There was a sudden beep, but I only glanced down to my left to find a small green shape making its way across the screen of my fish finder. I knew better than to let myself get excited, though, since there wasn't any guarantee that it was even a fish, let alone one that would bite, and soon enough the image was gone. Now I just had to wait for the next one to pass by.

"Laugh at me all you want, Kai, but having this thing is a hell of a lot better than nothing." With that, I smiled because for once _I_ was the one on vacation. Even if it was just for three hours, it was more than he'd had lately.

He could take a jab at my sexuality like a jack ass, but I still won in the end as far as I was concerned.

"And just what _is_ that?" a voice behind me asked. I didn't even move when I heard it, but maybe that was only because I'd been thinking from the start that I might meet her here again.

"Just a fish finder," I replied, glancing over my shoulder with a smile. However, when I did so, I realized that Chelsea wasn't alone, and there was someone holding her hand. Someone without a smile and a pair of cold eyes. "Oh, and who is this?" I asked quietly.

"Denny, this is my daughter." Well, of course I knew that much. After all, her mother had dressed her up in the same sundress she always wore herself, and the girl also looked just like he did in her school picture. I didn't say as much, though. "Alisa..." the woman cooed gently, gazing down at her child. "Say hello now."

The little girl only nodded at first, but then she offered her small hand to me as if she'd actually been taught to do so at some point. I just grinned and accepted it with a firm shake which actually made her rounded cheeks flush pink. She still didn't smile, though, and something in my gut told me that wasn't normal for a child at her age. Playing shy was one thing, but... this wasn't exactly bashful behavior. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Denny. Mama tells me about you all the time."

"'All the time,' huh?" I echoed, stealing a glance towards her mother. The woman was clearly blushing, but she tried to hide it by crouching down to get a look at the device I'd brought with me.

"So... why do you have a fish finder if you don't have a boat?" Chelsea asked thoughtfully. Apparently it was my turn to be the embarrassed one.

"Because I'm going to have a boat of my own one day," I explained. Even though I prepared myself to have her laugh at me and my little dream, she was quiet for a moment. By the time she actually spoke, she was smiling, but she still didn't laugh. In fact, she looked almost as if she liked the idea as much as I did. Maybe even more.

"Really? That sounds like it'd be fun. Doesn't it, Alisa?" Her daughter looked rather doubtful of that, but when she looked back at me, her expression suddenly changed into something completely different. "What is it, honey?"

"Mr. Denny... your fishing pole is-"

"Oh, it's a bite!" However, before I started to reel it in, I thought to ask, "Do you want to help?" Alisa only blinked at first, but after giving me a slight nod, I let her stand in front of me as I placed her tiny hands on the rod and reel. "Don't turn it too fast now, or the line'll break." She did as she was told, and the line slowly began to pull in. "Don't stop now. You're doing really good."

It was then that her smile finally showed.

However, the moment was soon lost because the pole suddenly went slack in her hands, and I almost laughed to see the curious look she gave me. "It got away," she said softly, her voice mixed with both wonder and disappointment.

"That happens sometimes," I assured her with a smile. "Even if we caught it, we'd have to let it go anyway." Her face fell slightly although she gave me a nod in understanding, but I still felt the guilt starting to settle in already. The one time I don't bring my bucket, and I end up disappointing a little kid. Real nice, Denny. "Maybe we can keep it next time, though... Okay?"

Once again, Alisa gave me a smile, and this one actually turned out to be a little brighter than the first. However, when she went to face her mother, she soon frowned slightly and tilted her head to the side. "Why is there a birdie in Mama's hair?" she asked, pointing up to where she'd been staring.

Both Chelsea and I glanced up to find a little black bird had perched itself atop her head, but it wasn't just any bird that had landed there on a whim. In fact, it was one we knew very well. Or at least _I _did...

Which was probably why I laughed when I saw it.

"Kuu, get down from there," I scolded him with a grin. "I didn't want you to go looking for her, you idiot."

"He was looking for me?" the woman wondered aloud as he fluttered down in front of her little girl. When I nodded with my face beginning to warm, she paused for a moment and stared at him. Meanwhile, our small companions continued to gaze at one another curiously as if neither one was sure what to make of the other just yet. "Why would he do something like that?"

"Because he knew I kept wondering why you hadn't been around lately," I admitted. "I don't know where you live or anything, so I wasn't sure if something was wrong."

"Denny, the only reason I didn't come to see you was because Alisa is out of school for the summer, and I didn't have anyone to watch her for me," she explained with a reassuring smile. "I just didn't think you'd want her tagging along with us."

"You can always bring her," I insisted. "That wouldn't bother me at all." And why should it? If I wasn't really interested in the young woman, I wouldn't have been so damn worried about her in the first place. Besides, I could already tell her daughter was a sweetheart even though I'd only just met her, and I sure as hell wouldn't have minded meeting her earlier.

After all, I never said anything that would've led anyone to believe I would've had a problem in the first place.

"She's usually not this good with new people," Chelsea said softly. "I always have so much trouble trying to even talk to someone, but she didn't seem scared of you at all." Alisa glanced up at her mother as if she'd heard the very same words a few times before now, but she didn't say anything. "She's just like her father, I guess."

"Who _is_ he anyway?" I asked suddenly. I hadn't meant to ask her at all, but rather surprisingly, I actually didn't regret bringing up the question to her even though I wished it hadn't been in front of the man's daughter.

Chelsea sighed before letting her eyes fall on the small child that was now standing at her side once again with Kuu perched on her little head, but she said nothing for quite some time. Instead, she merely reached out her hand for her daughter to take, and only then did she glance back up at me.

"I'm sorry, Denny, but maybe we should talk about that some other time..."

Even though I wanted to try and convince the young woman to stay, all it took was for me to look at Alisa to know she was right. That poor little girl had enough to deal with without having us talk badly about her father. If he really was an asshole like I figured he probably was, she still didn't have to know that just yet. Or ever really.

"Alright. Just don't disappear on me, or I'll have to send Kuu out after you again," I teased with a weak smile. Upon hearing his name, my small companion fluttered over to my shoulder, but he seemed to do so reluctantly. After seeing the disappointment on the girl's face as well, I could understand his guilt. "Don't worry, buddy, you'll see her again soon," I assured him which caused a certain pair of young, blue eyes to sparkle.

"I'll see you later then," Chelsea agreed with a nod before turning to her daughter. "Now say good-bye, Alisa." Instead of just doing as her mother had told her, I was surprised when the little girl walked right up to me and put out her hand again.

"Good bye, Mr. Denny..." she said quietly, offering me another smile. "It was nice meeting you."

With a small giggle, Alisa trotted off then to catch up with the young woman as she made her way back down the docks, and I found I couldn't help but chuckle to myself to watch her go. After all, I was actually relieved to hear her say something like that to me... especially when neither one of us really knew the other yet. I could already tell she was a good kid, though.

Which was why I knew I wouldn't be able to forgive her father, no matter who he turned out to be, for ever abandoning her in the first place.

--

**Author's Note:** In the original parody, Denny was going to be the guy that always ends up getting fired by the boss even if he hasn't done anything wrong himself, and once again, Kai could be easily be blamed for most of his problems in that department. How you ask? Well... since it's obvious that Grace can't bring herself to punish our little sex addict, why not abuse his clone instead? XD

As for Denny's personality, most notably his apparent depression, I was actually inspired by the only few stories of his that existed in the fandom at the time I started writing. Most of them had him very withdrawn and somewhat cynical about life. It also really helped create more of a dynamic between him and Kai which I felt was necessary to both clearly tell them apart and move the story along.


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the song _Chain Gang_ as performed by Sam Cooke, nor do I have ownership of the song _Tonight's the Night_ which was both written and performed by the awesome Rod Stewart.

That being said, I highly recommend you listen to the latter of the two when you reach the last bit. YouTube it if you have to. ;)

--

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

One more frickin' hour and I could finally be out of there... That's all I could think of as I sat at my desk, chewing on the cap of one of my pens. The rest were sitting upside down in their cup, and I was hoping that if anyone happened to come into my office, they wouldn't suspect anything was out of the ordinary. Especially not Claire... Last thing I needed was to have her trying to reassure me that the road to recovery was a long one, and that there might be some trouble along the way or some damn thing.

Even though I put on a good act, the truth was that I was coming dangerously close to breaking under the pressure. You never know how much you actually need something until you don't have it, I guess, and right then I needed a god damn drink. Hell, I'd even down a beer if it would just kill my headache. Of course I knew I couldn't try and sneak something in at work with Claire popping in and out of my office more than usual, but I had no way of stopping myself from at least considering it.

"'All day long, they work so hard~ Till the sun is goin' down...'" As soon as I heard that smooth voice making its way down the hall, I felt the hair on the back of my neck bristle, and not a second later, I was on my way out of the door.

If that bastard put so much as a damn foot in that woman's office today, I was going to-

Just when I was about to storm over there to haul his sorry ass out of there, I came face to face with the very man I'd set out after in my own doorway. He blinked at first since he hadn't expected me to be there to meet him, either, but then his tanned face broke out into a wide grin. Why was it that that son of a bitch always found every god damn thing to be a fucking joke?

"Mind telling me what the hell you're doing over here, Kai?" I demanded, staring him down as best I could. He only shrugged, a folder in hand, but given the glare I sent his way, he seemed to think better of staying quiet for very long.

"Well, seeing as how I can't hand this over to Miss Muller these days, I guess I'm stuck with you," he explained. Then he shoved his face into my own, still wearing that damn grin of his and said, "So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, won't we?" I just scowled as I snatched the file from him, but that only made him chuckle and shake his head in amusement. "I can already tell _this_ is going to be fun," he mused, his eyes never wavering.

"Listen you," I warned with a growl. "If you think I'm going to play this little fucking game of yours, you can forget it. I don't take this kind of bull shit from anyone, especially not some jack ass who thinks he's better than me."

"Come on, Gray..." the man sighed. "I'm just trying to do business here, and since you won't let me trouble the little lady, you're the only one I can hand my stuff over to."

"Then have Denny bring it," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Not like that free-loader's doin' much anyway."

"Hey, leave him out of this!" Kai snapped. "Just because you've got a problem with me, don't go attacking him."

"Like hell I won't. He's just as bad as you are around here." He went to open his trap again, but then his eyes widened as he clamped it shut. I didn't even have to glance over to know it was Vaughn who'd finally gotten him to keep quiet, but the other man wasn't interested in him in the least since he just slipped on through. However, I still felt his gaze flicker from the paperwork in his hand over to me before he'd made his was past. And hat was more than enough to keep me quiet as well.

Neither one of us said a word as he turned the corner towards the bitch's office, but when we finally got our senses back, we both looked away from one another. He was the first one to say something, though, which I guess wasn't all that surprising. After all, it _was_ Kai, and I'd be damned if he could keep his mouth shut for long.

"I guess I'll leave you to it then," he murmured, running a hand over the back of his neck. With that, he quickly turned on his heel and headed back to his office, but he still managed to pick up his tune where he'd left off. Not that I was even listening anymore.

"You really shouldn't have said those things, you know," Claire scolded me as she appeared just outside her office to join me. I didn't say anything, only raising an eyebrow in confusion, but she explained herself soon enough. Can't say I expected her to be so damn blunt about it, though. "He wasn't trying to start a fight," she insisted, toying with the hem of her skirt with a disapproving look on her face. "You were antagonizing him..."

Even though I wasn't so sure of that, I didn't even try to defend myself. Let her take that bastard's side. Not like I gave a shit anyway...

"Here," I huffed, handing the folder he'd given me back off to her. "You're the only one who knows how to punch in this stuff." She stared up at me with that same clouded gaze she'd worn only a moment before, but I did my best to ignore it. Wasn't like I'd done anything wrong... My face still heated some when she kept looking at me that way, though, and I'd be damned if it didn't make me even more uncomfortable until I just had to sigh in defeat. "Unless you could show me how to do it."

"Sure thing," Claire agreed as she gave me a bright smile. And just like that, all had seemingly been forgiven although I was more less in a daze for a good minute or so afterwards.

Just how the hell did she manage turning things around like that?

That thought continued to make its way through my head over and over as we made our way back to my place, and it only became more insistent when we walked in the the front door. Even though she hadn't taken it upon herself to clean my hell hole just yet, she'd already made it perfectly clear she planned on staying for quite some time. Boxes filled with various things of hers had already piled up in the living room, and she had a list tacked on the fridge naming all the things left for us to bring over.

By the looks of it, most of my shit would be on its way out in favor of hers... Not that I hadn't expected it, of course. After all, that's what women did- take over a man's life, starting with what he could put in his own damn house.

It was one of the many reasons I'd never let a woman live with me in the first place.

Yeah, I'd dated some far and few between over the years, but none of it was all that serious. Usually it was just some girl who thought, for some God only reason, that I was good looking enough to bother with, and after she realized I just wasn't worth the trouble, I'd find myself on my own again. When she called it quits, though, the only real change in my life was that I didn't have to show up at her place again, and that just meant I saved some gas as far as I was concerned.

Claire was easily the first that I ever let get this close to me. I didn't really have a hell of a lot of complaints, either, which was incredible in its self. There was really only one thing that'd been bugging me, especially lately, but I wasn't about to bring it up.

"Gray, don't you have any more dishes?" she asked. I glanced over my shoulder as I made my way into my room, and I almost laughed to find the tiny woman standing up on her toes and peering into the cupboards. I ended up choking on it when I got a good look at her, though. Why that woman insisted on wearing skirts that were so damn short, I had no friggin' clue. All I knew was it'd made my life a hell of a lot more difficult considering what I'd seen of her over the years...

Things that a man shouldn't see unless he was the one she was going home with.

"All I've got is what's in the sink. You know that." As soon as I mentioned it, her feet plopped right back onto the floor, and then she gave me a smile. One that clearly meant she wanted something from me.

"Do you think you could go to my place for some then?" she chirped, her blue eyes shining. I only sighed in reply, but we both knew I'd do it without question. She just put it like that to make herself feel better about asking in the first place.

"Just write down what you need," I replied, trying to keep myself from muttering, "and I'll get it for you." She nodded with that bright smile still on her face, but as she slipped past me, her finger tips brushed against my shoulder. Her touch was light, barely even there, so maybe I was just desperate when I thought there was anything more to it than that. Whatever her intention, it still sent something of a spark through me all the same.

Especially after she went and bent over to dig through my desk, giving me the perfect view of her ass once again.

"Could you pick some groceries for me, too?" she asked, handing me a slip of paper. When I muttered an agreement half-heartedly, she only gave me a quick kiss, and with that, she sent me on my way out the door. Not that I was complaining since I rarely got much of anything like that from her to begin with.

For someone who insisted on snuggling up to me whenever we got into bed for the night, Claire was actually rather cold towards me most of the time. Either that or she was hopelessly easy to distract since she never seemed to stand still long enough for me to even try anything. Whether it was a sudden phone call, the pot boiling over, or her realizing she forgot to feed that damn cat of hers, something always seemed to draw her attention. Anything but _me_, that is.

Wasn't like I wanted to be selfish about it, but dammit, I'd been holding back for over four years now. Watching her trot around the office in those heels of hers, being tall enough to see right down every one of her frilly blouses, trying to ignore the fact that she leaned her whole body against me every time she looked over my shoulder to see the computer screen... Here I finally had her all to myself and I _still_ couldn't do anything about it because I wouldn't let myself just go through with all the things I'd thought of doing to her.

I could never bring myself to do that, though, not unless she was the one who suggested it. Well... there was that, and I also had the thought that I'd probably break her if I even tried.

Better just to not let myself think about it at all, I guess.

"What the hell is 'hummus?'" I asked myself aloud while standing in the middle of the health food aisle. No matter what that woman wrote on these lists of hers, I always found myself wondering if any of that shit even counted as food. "And tofu burgers? Fuck that." _Eat some damn meat once in a while... _Not like it'd kill her to put something on those bones of hers anyway.

"Need any help?" a small voice offered at my side. I glanced over to find it was an older woman with light red hair that'd spoken to me, and I couldn't help realizing she'd been in the dairy aisle with me as well. Was she following me? "You seem to be having some trouble is all," she explained as soon as that thought crossed my mind.

"Nothing I can't figure out on my own, thanks," I grumbled, bringing my attention back to the paper in my hand. Despite my gruff reply, she still stood there beside me and readjusted her glasses while she continued to stare at me with her clear blue eyes. Those damn things felt like they could see right through me, too, but I didn't budge. I wasn't about to let her get to me, and so we stood there, neither one of us going anywhere. Finally, though, I had to crack. "Listen, lady, I know you want to help, but I don't want any of it."

"You're conflicted about something," she observed, completely unfazed by my more than apparent attitude. I sighed, muttering something ugly while pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, but the older woman only smiled in understanding. That just made me even more irritated.

"Yeah, you're right," I snapped. "I've been thinking it's about time I get a fucking drink just so I don't have to deal with you damn people." Without even sticking around to hear her tell me I was being rude, I went right for the liquor aisle, but I stopped short when I realized what I was doing. Great... Now I had to fight with myself over that, too. Just fucking great.

When I turned back around, though, I came face to face with that same woman again, but this time she held a small container in her hand. I didn't even have to look at the label to know it was that damn hummus I'd been looking for earlier. Even after my outburst, her smile remained plastered on, and she even chuckled to see my annoyed expression.

"That's not what I meant at all," she said as she handed it to me. "I was talking about your wife." I blinked in confusion, but she only chuckled. "Forgive me, but the way you think about her, I assumed you were married."

"I-I don't what you're talking about," I insisted, refusing to look her in the eye. However, my face was still flushed which was more than enough for her to know she hit the nail on the head.

"Oh, it's alright," the woman assured me. "You're not the only man who worries about these things." What the hell was that supposed to mean? Unless I was talking to myself more than usual, she couldn't have known a damn thing about what was on my mind. Once again, though, she had an answer ready for me, but it didn't really make much sense. If anything, it just scared the shit out of me. "You have very strong thoughts, you know. That makes reading people so much easier," she explained as if it was nothing unusual.

Dear god... she was one of those nut jobs. Absolutely fucking perfect.

"My son's the exact same way," she continued with a sigh. "He doesn't believe in my abilities, and so he never takes my advice." Then the woman picked her head right back up and offered me another smile. "If you let me help you here, though, I can promise you'll be quite satisfied when you return home."

"Right, and I should believe you _why?"_ I asked, crossing my arms over my broad chest and glaring down at her. Her smile only widened into a grin, and she simply readjusted her glasses.

"Gray, I can assure you that the rewards will be great if you do," she insisted, no doubt taking great pride in seeing me go pale. However, she didn't say as much before plucking the note from my grip with ease. "So let's start by finding those tofu burgers, hmm?"

--

The ride home was spent in complete silence as I sat in the driver's seat fifteen minutes later with the groceries sitting next to me. After that unnerving experience, I felt violated. That crazy woman hadn't told me what I'd find once I stepped into the house, but her advice for me not to be carrying anything fragile was hardly comforting. In fact, it scared the shit out of me even more than her knowing my name without me telling her.

Claire had only been home for an hour at best, but knowing that idiot, she could've probably found at least a hundred and one ways to off herself while I was gone. Hell, I wasn't sure if she even knew not to put a penny in a light socket over half the time...

With that thought, I was at the door, and I all but tore that damn thing off its hinges just to get myself inside. The cigarette I had clenched between my teeth hit the floor after I found her standing at the sink, though.

In nothing but a towel... and a loosely tied one at that.

She only stared blankly at me at first, but soon enough her face was burning just as much as my own once she realized I was actually standing there. If I hadn't been so damn stunned, I might've chuckled when all she managed to squeak out was a weak 'welcome home.' How the hell did she still manage to be so fucking cute looking like that? Better yet, why the hell did I even care?

Apparently Claire had gotten into my records while I was gone. I hadn't really paid any attention to what was playing at first, but when I got my senses back, I couldn't exactly keep a straight face. After all, I don't think she could've even planned it better.

_"C'mon, angel, my heart's on fire... Don't deny your man's desire..."_

"Gray? What are you-" The little woman didn't even get a chance to finish before she found herself being swung over my shoulder, but she still managed to give a surprised shriek all the same. Soon enough, though, she began to laugh after she realized what I was doing. "Gray, put me down!" she giggled, still kicking her legs as if she actually thought she could get away.

"Just do what the man says," I teased with a chuckle. She only stopped squirming when I tossed her on my bed, and then the two of us waited for a moment, letting the realization of what was happening settle in. Still, the only thing I really noticed was that the towel had fallen open. It was only after I found myself over her that I fully understood that I had a naked woman in my bed, though. One that was trying to cover herself up.

Which was just about the last thing I wanted.

"Let me see you," I begged, my thick and husky voice somewhat strained. I usually wasn't the kind of man who'd actually plead with a woman to show herself to me, but I'd been waiting a long time to see her like this. Of course, maybe it was because I knew what she was trying to hide that I was willing to do that. It really was for her, not me. Even with that being the case, I still knew that didn't necessarily mean she was going to let go of her anxieties so easily.

As soon as I said it, she slowly let the blankets fall back, and without another word, she lifted herself up to kiss me as she wrapped her arms around my neck to bring me back down with her. Her skin was so soft and warm that, for a moment at least, I forgot what I was even trying to do. That pretty much ended once her tiny hands found my belt buckle, though.

Nothing could stop us after that as far as I was concerned.

--

**Author's Note:** Could this pair get any more cavity inducing?

Originally, the idea behind Gray and Claire working so closely together and having to stay late into the night was supposed to be a parody in itself about how the two are always working 'overtime' in the fandom. However, that was before Vaughn/Chelsea stories started to flood the front page, but I think it still makes sense even now. And, of course, Gray's drinking problem was going to be a direct result of being 'overworked' by all his fans. X3

Yes, I really like him as an alcoholic anyway... Don't judge me! DX


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**(Very Important) Disclaimer:** There are two wonderful stories that I've selected quotes from in this chapter. The first is from Moonlit's _Better in Time_ while the second is from Kuruk's _Addiction._ I _**did not**_write those selections myself, but I do highly recommend both stories to anyone interested.

--

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

I don't think I've ever had so much trouble convincing myself to get out of bed as I did that morning. Then again, I'd never woken up on top of anyone else, either, although I had to admit I was more than comfortable sleeping there. Not that I would've thought Gray could ever be such a good pillow before.

He was still sprawled out with his his one arm resting behind his head while the other was laid out perfectly across to the opposite side of the bed. I hadn't felt him move at all during the night, but he'd apparently managed to kick off all the covers as well. I had to force myself myself not to giggle, though, when I got a good look at his face. He must've been dreaming about something serious since his brow was knitted together like he was in deep thought, or maybe- and I was ashamed of myself for even thinking this- his features had simply gotten stuck like that once and for all.

After all, the man did a lot of frowning despite his age.

While I continued to lay there, I couldn't help wondering whether he'd regret what we'd done together. He wasn't the kind of man who'd just up and leave a woman, of course, but there was still that nagging doubt that liked to creep into my mind from time to time. No matter what the true cause behind it was, if he ever left me, I knew I'd blame what happened just the day before.

Right when I thought it, I shook my head to try and convince myself to be reasonable. Gray was the one who insisted on seeing me like that, so it wasn't as if he found me disgusting. If he did, things would've ended as soon as he tossed me on his bed. It was just me being my old self by even considering that he'd do any of that with someone he didn't find appealing. That should've been more than enough.

"Just what are you so down about?" I glanced up from the man's chest to find him looking down at me with only one eye opened, and soon after, he tussled my hair with a smirk. "You look like you ate a damn bug or something."

"It's nothing," I assured him with a smile as he sat up. However, he didn't look convinced when he was finally upright. Unless he always glared at people first thing in the morning.

"Don't lie to me," he ordered, gently tapping me on the forehead. "Whenever you tell me 'it's nothing,' I know it's something, so just come out with it for once." Since he rarely ever spoke to me with that much finality in his gruff voice, I didn't hesitate to give him an honest answer. That didn't mean I knew how to put it into words, though.

"You don't think I'm... disgusting, right?" I asked quietly, gazing up at him with my head bowed slightly. He only stared back at me for a moment as if he didn't hear or understand my question, but soon enough he closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again to look straight at me. "I-I mean... you're not going to leave me because of last night, are you?" I rattled on. "I know you probably-"

"Claire... Do you really think I'm that kind of guy?" he muttered, his gaze never left me. Although he didn't sound like it, I knew he was hurt by what I'd just said. What he didn't understand was that I was doubting myself, not him. Yet again, the problem was trying to just tell him that.

"No, I don't," I said at last, shaking my head. He nodded then before leaning over to kiss me, and even after what we'd done the night before, I still found myself blushing to feel his lips against mine.

"Good because I'm not," he assured me before standing up from the bed "I guess we'd better get ready for work then..."

"Um... Gray?" He only yawned a somewhat garbled 'what' in reply, but it was hard not to giggle all the same. "You _do_ realize it's Saturday, don't you?" He stopped, mid-stretch when I reminded him, and I couldn't help laughing quietly to myself to see the expression on his face as he gawked at me over his shoulder.

"Then what the hell are we doing up so damn early?" he demanded, running his thick fingers through his hair. "For Christ's sake, Claire, it's only six..."

"But I always get up this early," I replied which only got me an eye roll from the man. Without any warning, he tipped me back over onto the bed before climbing in almost right on top of me. "What are you doing now?" I asked with a giggle as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Going back to bed," he grumbled, bringing me even closer to him. "And so are you."

"I can't," I insisted. "I've got things to do." Even though I tried to wriggle free from him, he held fast, and I heard that all too rare, gravely sound of his laughter rising up from his chest again. However, I was still determined to have my way somehow or another. "I have to get this house cleaned. It's gross!"

"Save it for later. You need to learn to sleep in like the rest of us." I finally admitted defeat at that point since it was clear he wasn't going to listen to me, but I still sighed heavily to let him know I wasn't happy about it. "Who knew you were so stubborn?" he teased with a chuckle, his hot breath tickling the back of my neck. Despite the wonderful sensations that ran though me because of it, I just bit my lip to distract me from myself and what it was doing to me.

"Learned it from you, I'm sure," I teased right back. He only chuckled again before he found himself having to yawn once more. I had to smile at my own sass since I wasn't well known for even having so much as a hint of it, but then I felt a faint blush slip into my cheeks. However, it wasn't because of anything that had been said. Rather it was something I _felt_ that made me more than a little more than slightly flustered at that very moment. "If you're so tired, then why-"

"Can't help it," he murmured into my hair, trying to hide the embarrassment in his voice.

"Should I help with that?" I offered quietly. He didn't answer, no doubt too shocked to even try, and my entire face flushed to realize I'd even been the one to suggest it in the first place. When he finally answered me, though, it was all I could do not to laugh or at least giggle.

"Well... if that's what you want, then I sure as hell ain't gonna stop you."

--

"How could anyone live like this for so long?" I asked myself, not for the first time that day. As I looked into the coffee mug I'd found over by his old couch, I couldn't help but cringe. I'd seen him drink from it just last night, but looking at it now and finding the thick black sludge around the rim, it was clear it hadn't been washed in a very long time... if ever. What disturbed me more, though, was the fact that I'd let that man kiss me after letting his mouth touch the filthy thing. "Maybe I should just throw this away..."

Picking my way through the rest of the living room, I soon found the rest of the dishes to the incomplete set Gray had left in the cupboards. I could only assume that they were the remnants of any attempts he could've made at cooking, but it made sense now why he preferred to have take out as the primary source of his diet for so many years. I was still worried that Cu might've stumbled across the sad remains without me knowing, though. After all, my poor companion was sure to get sick if he tried to eat anything in the place that was outside of his food bowl.

Just when I was about to retreat for a moment or so, I came to the desk. Even with all the books piled on top of it along with a couple ashtrays, it was easily the cleanest space in the whole house besides, ironically enough, the bathroom, and so I felt a sense of relief just to plop down for a while in the chair that sat in front of it. However, once I began organizing the drawers, I began finding little scraps of paper, napkins, and envelopes with notes written out on them.

Most of them only took up the first half of a page or were just a couple of sentences, but there were a few that seemed to go on for numerous pages before dropping off at a certain point.

"Did he really write all of this?" I wondered aloud, flipping through a small collection of his scraps. Some of them were illegible, even for someone who had to read his sporadic handwriting on a regular basis, but there were also others that I could make out without too much trouble.

_"Perhaps, he often mused... perhaps she already knew. Maybe that little glimmer in her eyes or the smile that tugged at her lips when they met were not just his imagination. There could be more to those seemingly innocent actions, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask. The hurt it would cause... it was too much."_

Although it was probably just conceited of me to feel that way, I found I was disappointed to see he had ended so abruptly. Knowing Gray, he probably felt it was too personal to ever finish, but I just had to smile upon reading over his words and finding both him and myself in them. I also had to wonder just how long he'd held onto those feelings without me even being aware that they existed in the first place.

The other piece was less endearing, however.

_"If you've ever seen the movies, men with morals never win. Hell, look at life and look around. Those too entrenched in their morals lose, whether it be losing a hard earned job to the cutthroat colleague that doesn't play fair or watching the maiden you live and breathe for be taken by another man that has no qualms about taking another man's woman."_

My heart sank when I read the paragraph, and for a moment or so, I could only sit there and think. I wanted to tell myself it'd just been an off day that inspired him to write something like that, but after reading over it again, I knew there were many more like it stashed away in the various mad scribbles he'd jotted down over time. While I knew Gray wouldn't want to hear it, it was painfully clear to me that he'd always been something of a sad and bitter man. At least as long as he'd been in this place.

Stepping back into the bedroom, I found him still laying in bed with Cu curled up beside him. He was dressed now, and while he lay there with a cigarette dangling from his lips, he was reading yet another one of his books and scratching his small companion behind the ears. By the looks of it, though, he was falling asleep again.

"Gray, can I ask you about something?" I began, sitting on the end of the bed. His eyes flickered up to meet mine to let me know I had his attention, but as soon as he saw the collection of papers I had in my hands, all the color ran out of his face.

"You can read them if you want," he told me quietly. "Most of 'em are probably shit, though."

"No, they aren't," I insisted, shaking my head slowly. "They might not be finished just yet, but they're well written. You shouldn't put yourself down so easily." He didn't say anything at first, but instead he sighed as he closed the book he'd been reading and set it on his lap. When he opened his eyes again, though, he tried to offer me a slight smile just to reassure me he was alright.

"Claire, I don't even remember writing a damn word," he explained with a forced chuckle as he shook his own head. "The only time I write is when I'm drunk off my ass." I just sat there, too stunned to even know what to say, but he just went on as if I wasn't even in the room with him. "Hell, even if I wanted to finish 'em, I don't have a fucking clue on what I was thinking of in the first place."

"Then why did you keep doing it? Drinking, I mean..." After all, it wasn't like he didn't know what was happening to him over the years. He knew the consequences, he even watched someone die from the very same thing, so how could he keep doing that to himself? When I finally realized that I what I was doing to myself all those years ago, I wanted to do whatever it took to get better. He didn't even bother to care.

"Everyone drinks in my family," he replied with a heavy sigh. "My father, his father... me. Just never thought it was that big of a deal." I stared blankly at him for a moment since it was the first time I'd ever heard the man mention any family even in passing. I didn't really talk about mine much, either, but that was only because there wasn't much to say. However, the bitterness seeped into his voice as soon as he uttered the word 'father,' and that alone was able to bring everything into focus for me.

How could it be an issue for him if it was all he'd ever known?

"Can you get something out for me?" he asked suddenly. Gray sighed then, running his fingers through his hair, and after he snuffed out his cigarette, he pointed over to his dresser. "Bottom drawer, far right corner..." he began with another heavy sigh. "I've got a bottle of Jack I need to take care of."

Although I should've been angry with the man, I only did what I was told. Just as he'd said I would, I found a bottle of Jack Daniels stashed away in the way back, right behind a stack of faded, blue work shirts, but I paused once I got a good look at it. "Gray... this isn't even opened yet."

"I know," he replied. "I bought it a while ago... but I couldn't drink any of it with you around," he admitted, his face becoming a light shade of red. I smiled then to assure him I wasn't upset, but the feeling I had in my chest was bittersweet at best.

On the one hand, I was glad he'd been honest with me, and yet on the other... he'd gone and lied to me first.

"I'll be back," was all I said before all but running out the door. My grip on the neck of the bottle was tight, but I didn't even care that my nails were digging painfully into my hand at the moment. As long as I didn't let myself cry, everything would be okay, or at least that's what I told myself anyway. After all, while I knew it should've been Gray doing this, I also knew I wanted to be the one to get rid of it all myself. I wasn't going to simply pour it down the sink, though...

Because I _was_ angry, and even if it wasn't at him, I needed to take it out on something, starting with the damn bottle I had in my hand.

Maybe he couldn't admit he had a problem, but Gray was still trying to change which meant I had to help him the best I could. If I had to break some glass on the pavement, then so be it. I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose him... because that man was the first good thing that had happened to me since coming to live here.

From the very beginning, Gray took care of me. I never knew if he understood how grateful I really was, and yet at the same time, I felt like he gave me a chance to be selfish for once. He let me whine, complain, pout...

All the things I could never let anyone else see.

"Where are you going exactly?" I stopped walking as soon as I heard Gray's voice, but when I did, I suddenly realized that I didn't even know where I'd ended up, much less where I could've been going. The building's were all unfamiliar to me here, and it was then that I also realized that, once again, the man had to go out of his way to help me. However, after he glanced down and saw the bottle was still in my hand, he added, "And why are you walking around with that out here?"

I didn't answer at first, but I didn't protest as he took it from me, either. A part of me was actually relieved not to have the weight of it any longer. Maybe that's why those I let those first few frustrated tears slip without me even knowing they were there.

Gray only stood there for a moment, not letting himself look at me while his brow knitted together in thought, but after a short while, I felt a heavy hand resting on the top of my head. He stayed quiet for a little longer than before he finally sighed and tried to speak again. "Come on, let's go back... Alright?" he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair once again. "You're making me look bad... having to chase after you and then having you cry like that... You know?"

Although my smile was a bit forced, I still laughed slightly to hear him say it. After all, it probably did look rather strange for me to run out of the house with a liquor bottle in my hand and walk several blocks before he finally caught up with me. "That really makes me look like the alcoholic, doesn't it?"

Right when I said it, my entire face flushed, but he didn't even give me a chance to apologize.

"You couldn't even handle a sip of this stuff," he assured me with a chuckled, shaking his head. "You're too damn scrawny to be anything but a lightweight anyway."

"So... what are you going to do with it?" I asked, having to jog to catch up with him. Without even thinking of what I was doing, I also slipped my small hand into his much larger one, and as soon as I did, I smiled to see his face redden and his features become rigid with embarrassment.

"Dump it," Gray replied with a shrug. "Not like there's anything else I can do with it..."

"Is there any more?" I continued. I didn't mean to pry, especially since I was sure that'd only make the problem worse, but I still wanted to believe him. I wanted to know he really wanted to go through with all of this. If he didn't think he was ready, I could respect that. After all, there was a time when I didn't want to change, either... Of course that didn't mean I would give up, though, because I wasn't about to simply watch him kill himself.

"Not that I can remember..." he assured me. "But I'll let you know if I find anything."

"You don't have to do that... unless you feel like you need to, of course." I'd actually done something similar once, and I had to admit that sometimes the thing I needed most was the chance to share my failures with someone. Who better to listen than someone who'd gone through a struggle much like your own? "It won't always be like this, though," I promised with a faint laugh.

"Well, I hope not," he agreed gruffly. "I didn't even know which way you went when you left... This isn't the 'burbs, you know." His hand tightened slightly around my own as he said it, but I only smiled up at him in understanding.

"You didn't have to come looking for me. I could've found my way back... eventually."

"'Eventually,'" Gray echoed with a smirk. "Weren't you the one I had to go up across town because you took the wrong bus?" My face flushed at the memory, but he only chuckled to himself to see my reaction. "And then there was the time you got lost when they sent you out to meet with a client..."

"I'm an accountant, not a part of public relations," I reminded him in a weak attempt to defend myself. When I heard him chuckle, though, I stared to pout. "And I seem to remember that _you_ were the one they asked to go to that meeting first."

He just rolled his eyes as he let me back inside the house, and with that, I knew I had him. "Why send me when they could have someone like you to look at instead?" he teased as he put the bottle in the sink.

"That's not why they sent me!" I protested, my face burning at the mere thought. "If that was what they wanted, they would've sent Elli, not me."

"But she..." he began before giving a tug on the back of my skirt, "doesn't wear stuff like this." I gave a surprised squeal as it slipped down, but once I whipped around to face him, he was wearing a rather satisfied smirk. However, even though I was blushing like mad, I was still determined to keep at least some of my dignity.

"Would you rather I _didn't_ wear a skirt?" I challenged, trying to narrow my eyes at him to let him know I was serious. Gray actually seemed to think on this for a moment, and I had to wonder just how I was going to keep up with this man. "You're hopeless..."

He didn't say anything, but he went stiff when I wrapped my arms around him. I just giggled. He really was so awkward about these things, and I just had to love him all the more for it.

"That's okay, though," I assured the man as I nuzzled into him. "Because I'm hopeless, too."

"Is that so?" he chuckled, tussling my hair. I didn't say anything at first before standing up on my tip-toes to give him a kiss. "You're pretty damn short, you know." I just stuck my tongue out at him, but it was hard not to giggle all the same. Then he smiled and hoisted me up with no effort at all, and like always, I gave a little squeal in surprise. For not being much of a ladies' man, he sure knew how to give me that light fluttery feeling in my chest by doing such things.

What startled me more than him picking me up, though, was his hand falling hard on my behind.

"What was that for?" I gasped. He just laughed, but he still wouldn't let me down. If you would've told me a few months ago that he could ever be like this, I wouldn't have believed you, and yet... a part of me wanted to believe I was the reason why he was acting so strange.

"For running off earlier without telling me," he explained with a deep chuckle that sent the most wonderful feeling right through me.

"Does that make me bad girl then?" I giggled. He just stared back at me with disbelief as his face flushed a deep shade of red, but while I was blushing as well, I still gave him a playful smile. After all, I wasn't exactly being myself, either, and I had to admit it was rather fun. Maybe even a little too much...

Not that Gray seemed to be complaining any when he took me back into the bedroom to 'teach me a lesson.'

--

**Author's Note:** Alright, after this chapter, I'm afraid there will be another dry spell when it comes to the romantic fluff. I _could_ say that this chapter and the previous one were meant to show the special bond between these two, but I know I wouldn't be fooling anyone. The truth is that I just needed something to help step away from some of the drama.

Because, really, there's probably too much of that in this story as it is. : /


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

As soon as my bags hit the floor with a dull thud, I knew I shouldn't have come. This was the house all right... but it didn't feel like it. Not anymore at least.

My sister really had gone out of her way to make the place presentable for any of her guests. The walls had once been a sickening salmon pink, but she'd painted it over with a warm and sunny yellow which tried its best to welcome me back home. She'd stripped the floor's carpeting, too, and all of the old furniture had been cleared out as well. I found myself wishing she'd just left it alone, though.

"We were going to give Jordan your room, but mine was always bigger," Tina explained when she slipped next to me. "It's good enough for a guest room, though, don't you think?" I just nodded since my mouth had pretty much gone dry with disbelief, but I knew what I wanted to tell her. Like... why the hell did my bed have _roses_ on it now? And why were they blue for that matter? I hated blue... and she knew it better than anyone which meant she probably picked out that bedspread just to spite me for not staying home.

After all, why couldn't I be the perfect daughter like she so obviously was?

"So the funeral's tomorrow, right?" I asked dully, trying to keep myself from snapping at the younger woman. It was all I could do to bite my tongue since I really wanted to ream her out for tearing apart my old room without telling me. Granted, I didn't exactly live there anymore, but I was still pissed to have everything changed. It's not like she was really doing anything with it herself for Christ's sake...

"You mean you're actually going?" Tina replied, her brown eyes wide with disbelief. When I gave her a shrug to answer her question, she smiled at me, but it was just as cold as my frozen heart. "I'm sure Dad will appreciate it."

"He won't even know we're burying him," I sighed, shaking my head. I knew that wasn't the best thing for me to say given the circumstances, but it was the damn truth as far as I was concerned. When you're dead, you're dead. There's really no changing it.

"Grace... how can you be like that?"

"Like what?" I scoffed, lighting myself another cigarette. "I'm just being honest here, sis. The old man's gone for good." About the only thing we had were the memories of him, and even those were far and few between for the both of us. He'd always been a stranger in our house which was probably why I was so damn cold to the whole occasion. It wasn't like I didn't want to feel anything for him, but it's hard to lose someone when you don't really know the person in the first place.

"Just don't talk like that tomorrow when our family arrives," Tina pleaded with me. "I know you didn't really want to come, but it'll mean a lot to some people just to have you there."

"Yeah..." I agreed, trying my best not to sound too doubtful. After all, I knew that no one was going to be happy to see me there at the church since I hadn't exactly been all that appreciated to begin with. If anything, they thought I was more trouble than I was worth. That'd just make it more entertaining for me, though. Just imaging the look on their faces to see me being the one to greet them at the door was enough for me to stick around for the event.

"Oh, if you're hungry, I can warm up some leftovers for you," my sister offered. "I know you don't really like chicken all that much, but it's all I've got at the moment." To be honest, I didn't really like how friendly she was trying to be, so it wasn't all that hard for me to turn down her offer. "Well, you know where I'll be if you need anything, so don't hesitate to ask."

"No problem," I replied after a moment. She got the hint after that simple statement, and I was finally able to be alone in my room in peace. However, I'd only just gotten undressed when I heard a knock on the wall. "What the hell is it now, Tina?" I demanded, throwing open the door. What I found on the other side was actually a man... or at least I _thought_ it was a man.

Kind of hard to tell when he insisted on dying his shoulder length hair that damn shade of lavender.

"My wife told me to bring you this," he explained, his voice unusually deep despite his feminine appearance. He brushed back his long bangs to reveal one of his many piercings, this one being in his ear, but with his cold, blue eyes glaring me down, I didn't have a lot of time to stare. "Are you gonna eat it or not?"

"I told her I wasn't hungry," I muttered, clenching another cigarette between my teeth. "And I sure as hell don't need you bringing it to me, Jamie," I added bitterly.

"It's not like I wanted to do it in the first place," he assured me. "Hell, I don't even want you in my damn house, but you just barge in like always." Well, he certainly hadn't changed since I last saw him on their wedding day. It'd been the first time I'd even met the man actually, but neither one of us left much of an impression on one another. While I thought he had one hell of a stick shoved up his ass, he just figured I was a bitch in every sense of the word. Nothing new there, but it was still worth mentioning.

After all, I was becoming rather proud of the title especially since it meant I was taking after my old man in a sense. Even if people told me at the funeral what a good man he'd been, I knew they only thought of him as a cold hearted bastard.

Now doesn't that sound familiar?

That being said, it really wasn't all that surprising that the old man didn't exactly approve of his new son-in-law any more than I did. In fact, I was damn sure he hated that asshole even more than I ever could. What was plain to the both of us, though, was that greasy kid was just about the worst thing that could've happened to our family.

He was really the only mistake Tina ever made, but even that wasn't enough to make me put up with any of his shit.

"Not like I planned on being here for this," I muttered as I finally took the plate from him. The only reason I came at all was because of what Kai had said to me, and if it wasn't for that bastard, I would've been left alone by this family for good. Then again... he hadn't exactly said anything about the funeral which meant I couldn't get pissed off at him like I wanted to. At least not with a good reason... although that certainly never stopped me before.

"Then why'd you even bother?" Jamie huffed. "You know how it is around here. That's why you left in the first place, isn't it?" I only scowled down at the man, but I knew he was right about that. Not that I was going to tell him as much, of course.

"I'll keep that in mind," I grumbled before slamming the door in his face. Once I heard the young man storm down the hall, hollering something about 'that bitch' to his little wife, I sighed and made my way back to the bed. Even when I sat down, though, the creak it made was unfamiliar to me. "So she changed the mattress, too..." After being gone for over thirteen years, I really shouldn't have been so damn surprised, I guess... but there was one thought that kept resurfacing with every little change.

When a kid leaves home, isn't there supposed to be a moment where the parents make some kind of promise to make the blow of starting life on your own a little easier to take? Something along the lines of, 'Just remember, you still have a home here if you ever need us.' Or something like that anyway...

Back then, I got nothing. Just my old man throwing my shit into the back of my car. Whatever didn't fit just wouldn't go with me, plain and simple. Maybe there was a hug from Nancy as well, but I can't say for sure after all this time. I'd always been somewhat cold towards her, especially in those days. My mind was on other things and other people.

Mostly just how I was going to get away.

Getting a college degree shouldn't have been such a big deal in the first place. Hell... What kind of parents wouldn't support something like that in this day in age? Even back then it wasn't the like forties when a woman had to just stay home and raise her god damn two-point-five children, and yet that's exactly what my parents had planned for me.

Grace Hart- not a career-minded business woman but a loving wife and doting mother of two boys. After all, didn't all little girls want to grow up to be wonderful mommies who know how to give their husbands a good blow job right when he got home from work?

That was really all I could think of as I stood at the door of the church greeting our relatives and a few of the old man's former colleagues. Each of them tried to offer their condolences, even the men, but no one seemed to be able to bring themselves to actually give a shit about my loss. My sister on the other hand...

Our aunts and nearly all of our cousins had crowded around her, making soothing circles on her back and offering her their handkerchiefs. She accepted it all so gracefully with tears sparkling in her eyes that I had to wonder why I was the one to be given my name when she was clearly more suited to it than I was. Who the hell was I even kidding? She was better than I was in pretty much every aspect... at least in the eyes of our family.

Still, maybe I should've reconsidered wearing my favorite red dress for what was meant to be a rather somber affair.

Just when I was ready to make a quick change into something more reserved, though, my cell began to ring, and each and every person in the place decided to snap their heads around to send an accusing glare my way. Without even bothering to excuse myself, I stormed right out the door and into the parking lot, and as soon as I flipped the damn thing open, I just let the person on the other end have it.

"Dammit, Kai, somebody better be fucking dying at that office for you to call me like this," I growled bitterly, lighting myself a cigarette. I hadn't had one all day, but I going to be damned if I wasn't having one now. "I told you that I funeral was today, you son of a bitch, and here you decide to call me right in the god damn middle of it."

"Calm down, Grace, I just wanted to know how you were holding up," the man insisted, clearly trying to keep himself from laughing at my angry outburst. "By the sounds of it, though, I picked a bad time to check up on you."

"You got that right," I snapped. "And what the hell do you mean by you were checking up on me? I don't need a god damn babysitter."

"I take it they're giving you a hard time then," he went on, clearly unfazed by what I was telling him. "Did you get a chance to see him?" I sighed to hear him even mention the old man being that I was trying my best to avoid looking in on him before they lowered him into the ground for the eternal dirt nap. Better just to live with the memories of the man he was, not the remnants that were left behind. Luckily for me, Kai was willing to be merciful and didn't insist on getting an answer. "Are they going to have you say anything?"

"Hope not. You know I'm not good at that kind of thing..." I sighed again, taking a long satisfying drag off my cancer stick. "Tina can take care of it, I'm sure." After all, she was the only one they really wanted to hear from, and I was more than willing to let her have that moment all to herself.

Even if what she had to say was nothing more than a bunch of pretty little lies.

"Don't stress over it then," he assured me. "I think you'd do just find up there, but that's your call, not mine." There was a pause on the other line before he asked, "Do you need anything from me then?"

"Not unless you can get me the hell out of here," I replied. "Other than that, I can't really think of anything I need done." Well... except for maybe finding a way to bring my sister down a few pegs, but I didn't mention it to the man. Knowing him, he'd take too damn much pleasure in making her miserable for me. Even if he seemed charming enough on the surface, I knew he still had one hell of a mischievous streak left in him yet.

"Grace, what are you doing?" Tina hissed from behind me. "Father Nathan will be staring the service any minute." I barely managed to keep myself from rolling my eyes as I snapped the phone shut. "You're being rude!"

"It's not like I can ignore an important business call," I replied cooly. "Just because I'm here for the old man, I'm still the manager over there, you know."

"And that's precisely the problem with you insisting on working there." While my sister went pale to hear the woman's shrill voice, I only scowled and glared at her. So she _was_ here, after all. "You never make time for this family."

"Well, Samantha, it's nice to see you, too," I said with a sneer. "You haven't changed all that much, I see." Other than her graying hair, which had been pulled tightly back into its usual bun, she really did look just as she did so many years ago. She still decided to take offense to my comment, though... and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't what I was going for.

"You always did disrespect your elders," she scoffed, her thin lips twisting themselves into a knot. "I would've thought your father would be able to raise you better, but I suppose your mother softened his character. He used to be such a strong, reliable man..."

"Then why didn't you marry him instead of Grant?" I asked snidely. The woman seemed to baulk when I mentioned her husband, but I only smiled. "Oh, wait... I'm sorry. You divorced a few years ago, didn't you?" After clucking my tongue, I grinned once again. "Such a damn shame, really. I always thought you two were _so happy_ together."

"Grace, that's enough. Can't you see you're upsetting her?"

"It's alright, Tina. Our separation was really for the best, I can assure you," she insisted once she turned her attention back to me. Then, without any warning, she took a stab at my own personal life. "Besides... it's not as if she has any true experience with men being that no proper man would ever want the likes of _her_ in his company for more than a night."

"Hell of a lot better than dealing with them any more than that."

"The service is about to get started," an old man said quietly, causing us all to jump right out of our god damn skins. Although I couldn't put a name to the face at first glance, the sound of his rusty voice sounded vaguely familiar to me, and I found myself taking a moment to study him. He might've been a rather tall man at one point or another, but because of the way his shoulders hunched forward, it was hard for me to tell for sure. However, as soon as his smile fell away into the folds of leather that was his face, I immediately recognized him.

"We'll be right there, Takakura," I assured my father's old friend.

The man simply nodded in understanding, but before he got the chance to leave, my sister was soon standing beside him offering him her arm. "I can manage," he insisted, waving her off as politely as he could. "These old legs might not seem like much, but they get me where I need to go..." Even though she was clearly hurt by his gentle refusal, I couldn't help but smile to see the old man struggle to shuffle his way back to the church on his own. Not out of cruelty, of course, but actual respect. After all, it took a real man to carry himself in such a way even if he knew all too well that he was hurting.

All it took for me to catch up with the man was a few strides, but as I came up beside him, his weathered face turned up to see me. At first I figured I'd be in for yet another lecture, but he didn't say a word against me. Instead he actually shocked me when he finally opened his mouth to speak to me. "You were always Gerald's favorite, you know."

"Bull shit," I muttered bitterly. "He didn't give a damn about me..." And why should he? I was everything the rest of this family wasn't, and no one here had ever been kind enough to let me forget it, either. After all, Samantha wasn't the only one who'd hunt me down at these things whenever I showed up. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better about this whole thing, but-"

"He was always so proud of you..." Takakura continued wistfully. "When he found out you got a job up there at Moon Industries, he took me out drinking just to celebrate."

"So Dad was actually happy to hear about that, huh?" Well, that was definitely news to me since I still remembered the day I first told the old man about it. When I called him, he'd sounded like I'd done something wrong by becoming a successful woman.

Especially after he said something along the lines of, _"You think that means a god damn thing? If you were _really_ serious about business, you would've started something yourself."_

However, I actually found myself feeling a little different about the whole situation as I walked into the funeral parlor once again. My biting snark was surprisingly absent, for the time being anyway, and yet I still didn't feel any remorse even with the solemn occasion at hand. It was actually hard for me not to smile.

My sister and I sat in the front row as the fat reverend stood just behind our father's closed casket. His face was too round and jolly for my tastes, like Santa without the curly white hair and matching beard, but I bit my tongue while I made myself comfortable in the rickety folding chair I'd be stuck in for the next our. However, I couldn't exactly keep my mouth shut when my sister leaned over and whispered in my ear, "That cell phone of yours better be off, Grace."

"Just worry about yourself for once, Tina," I snapped right back under my breath. Despite my jaded reply, though, I still flipped open my cell to put it on silent just in case since I wasn't about to give her any more reason to consider me a failure. At least not until I was back in the city where I belonged.

"Friends... family... We are gathered here today to say good-bye to a great man who has touched each of our lives. Gerald Lee Hart." Even though the service had only just begun, I couldn't help wondering if this guy had this whole thing memorized. After all, other than a few alterations in word choice it sounded like he presiding over a damn wedding instead of a funeral. And just how did my old man touch this asshole's life anyway? Wasn't like Dad went to church other than for Christmas and Easter... if he even bothered then. I couldn't exactly remember being as I didn't exactly go all that often, either.

"Now I would like to ask for his family to say a few words..."

My sister was obviously well prepared apparently since she all but ran up to the pulpit with a piece of paper in hand. Father Nathan simply stepped aside for her, and as soon as she found herself standing over us, she managed to dredge up some tears for her little performance. Tina was always known as a drama queen... which I guess could explain why she did so well in the theater during school. Surprisingly enough, that's the first thing she brought up, too.

"Dad never once let me down," she began as the first tear slid down her cheek. "He was always there for me. From the first time I performed on stage to the day I walked down the aisle, he..." She paused to choke back a forced sob, but I was finished listening to her at that point. How the hell could she stand up there and lie in front of these people?

He _hated_ the fact she was an actress during her high school career. It went so far that he wouldn't even go to see any of her plays, and because I was already working full time myself after my classes were done for the day, I usually never got a chance to see much of them, either. Of course, I was always the one she'd come home screaming to, so maybe that's why I was so offended to hear her rattling off bull shit.

As she made her way back to her seat next to me, I immediately stood up and brought myself to the pulpit myself. Apparently no one had expected me to actually get up there, either, since the first thing I noticed was a gathering of eyes wide with complete disbelief, all except for Takakura who only smiled up at me. Now the question was... What was I going to say to these people, most of whom didn't even want me there to begin with?

_It's like a fucking business meeting._

With that thought, I finally managed to open my mouth, but it was pretty damn sure no one was going to like what came out of it. After all, they say the truth hurts, and even though what I was about to say might've been the truth, it was easily the last thing anyone wanted to hear.

"You know, I could stand up here and tell you what a great man Dad was... but that'd be like someone telling you that _I_ was a great woman. That's just not how it is or _was_." My sister immediately bowed her head and hid her eyes beneath her head with a heavy sigh, but I just grinned. "He had his problems, but... who the hell doesn't? Even if the only memory I have of the man is him sitting in his chair watching baseball, that doesn't change the fact he was my dad. Maybe he didn't pat me on the back for every good thing I did, either, but I didn't need any of that.

"About the only thing I wanted from him was a little reassurance that I didn't disappoint him, and you want to know what? I never really got it, not from him at least. Even that doesn't bother me, though... because he wasn't the kind of man that would ever let you know how he really felt. And that's alright...

"Because that taught me to say what's on my mind even if no one likes it."

Right then, I decided I'd said my bit, and without another word or even a 'thank you,' I sat back down. It was hard not to laugh when the reverend took his place before us once again, his face pale and a heavy layer of sweat on his brow. However, as soon as he returned to the service, I felt my sister jab me in the side.

"How could you say something like that in front of everyone?" she whispered harshly. "Dad did his best, and you-"

"I know he did," I replied calmly, not so much as glancing away from the casket. "That's why I went up there and said something." Tina just rolled her eyes and muttered something about how heartless I was... or maybe it was hopeless. Whatever she had to say about me, though, it didn't really matter to me now, and for the first time, that was the honest to God truth.

"If you ask me, you should've just stayed at-" Before she could finish, someone's cell started going off. It wasn't just _anyone's_ cell phone, though, because I knew that ringtone, and the reason for that was it hadn't changed since the last time I'd come home. Not to mention how red my sister's face had gotten since it first started going off.

"Don't you think you'd better shut that off, sis?" I asked with a snicker. "You're being rude, you know. And at Dad's funeral no less..." She scowled at me as she dug through her purse to shut it off, but before she got a chance to, I happened to catch a glimpse of her screen. _That son of a bitch..._

"I take it Jamie doesn't know that number's still on your phone, huh?" I teased with a wicked grin.

"Know about what?" Tina's eyes widened to realize her husband, who'd been sitting on the other side, had overheard our little conversation, but I just couldn't help myself. Especially not after all I'd had to go through that day.

"Just that Kai still has her phone number... even though it's actually the new one that _you_ set her up for," I explained with a shrug, keeping a straight face as I said it. Throughout the rest of the service, I simply sat there as I tried my best not to laugh while the couple bickered with one another in harsh whispers. It was just too bad that poor Dad wasn't with us to watch the spectacle with me.

After all, I was pretty damn sure that this would be enough to get a smile out of even him.

--

**Author's Note:** Well, the funeral scene _was_ going to be a very heavy, introspective look into Grace's family and her life outside of work, but that proved to be too difficult for me to write. This, on the other hand, was rather easy for me, and I'm actually pleased with the result for once.

Yes, you read that right. I'm _happy_ with this chapter.

For anyone wondering, Grace could actually be considered to be 'Jill.' After all, her personality is actually what I attribute to Jill while playing AnWL. The only problem is her appearance since the game's heroine didn't exactly fit with what I wanted the boss to look like. As for why I'd name her Grace instead of Jill... I just don't like the name Jill. :P


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Looking back on my younger days, I've realized I haven't really changed all that much. Whether or not that was a good thing still remained to be seen, but for the most part I was comfortable with the way my life stood. Maybe that was the real problem when it came to my bad behavior. I was restless... and because of it, I made some stupid mistakes. Just like when I was a kid, I also never seemed to learn how to stay out of trouble.

This time, though, it was out to find me instead of the other way around.

As soon as I got home after work, there would inevitably be a knock at my door, and there she'd be on the other side, wearing that bright smile of hers on that all too innocent face. She'd come with questions about the kids like what they could or couldn't eat, do, or say, but I knew that wasn't all there was to her frequent visits. After all, she'd been around those kids long enough to know all those things by then.

Not only that, but those tactics were the very ones I'd used myself in the past.

So when I found her standing just outside my door once again, I wasn't all that surprised. However, what peeked my interest was what she'd decided to wear that day. Unlike the casual suits or the modest dresses I'd seen her wear before, this little number was nothing more than a red miniskirt and a sheer white top.

"I take it you're not here for the kids today," I teased with a grin. Popuri only giggled, a wonderful sound I'd heard a lot of in the past week through the thin walls of the apartment, and with that, I knew exactly why she was there. I wasn't heartless enough to ruin her fun, though. If she wanted to play a game, then I was willing to play dumb long enough to keep her somewhat entertained. "Do you need something?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me and my friends to the club," she explained, her smile never fading.

"Don't you think I'm a little too old for you girls?" I replied, trying to sound serious. "These friends of yours probably won't want an old man hanging around."

"Oh, I don't think they'll mind at all," she assured me. "Besides, you can't be _that_ much older than me."

"Is that right?" Well, I highly doubted that by the looks of her. Maybe it was just her choice in clothing, but I was convinced she had to be fresh out of high school- if she was even that far along in the first place. At best, she had to be about twenty...

"Twenty-eight by August," she replied with an even brighter smile. When she saw my jaw drop, she just laughed as if my reaction was only to be expected. "I guess I look young for my age, don't I?"

At least I didn't have to feel guilty about eyeing up those long legs of hers any more.

"Now that that's settled... let's go!" With that, the woman linked her arm with mine and all but dragged me out of the apartment, but the only thing I do was laugh. After all, she'd apparently forgotten one crucial detail, and it just so happened to be the one that would put an end to any plans she had for that night.

"How about I get my shirt on before we go anywhere?" I suggested with a laugh of my own. Popuri only blinked in confusion at first, but her red eyes started to sparkle just before she began to giggle yet again. I didn't know what was so funny at first, but it was more than apparent when we finally found ourselves at the club some time later.

"You know... I don't think I've ever been in one of these places," I thought aloud as we stepped out of her car- an impressive red convertible I might add- and into the front door of the supposed 'club.' It wasn't much more than an old abandoned warehouse, but I wasn't about to complain since she was the one who paid for us to get in. Still, maybe it was just the choice in music, but I was pretty damn sure she'd taken me to a gay club with the large number of shirtless men running around the joint. Not that it really mattered, but still.

"Oh, most of the clubs these days are _nothing _like this place," she assured me with a laugh. "I just like this place 'cause everyone's so open, you know?" Well then, I could work with that easily enough... just as long as none of those guys on the dance floor decided to cozy up to me any time soon.

Popuri didn't even bat an eyelash as she took my hand and guided me through the club and the crowd that seemed to throb with the heartbeat of the very building they were confined to. She clearly knew her way around since she managed to find us a booth on the second floor without too much trouble. It was out of the way, but it still offered a clean view of the dance floor which continued to flash bright pinks, blues, and purples while the strobes flickered madly from overhead.

Before I even realized she'd run off in the first place, my date for the night returned to our table with a couple of drinks in hand. Even with the musky odor of sweat and beer that permeated the air, I still zeroed in on the welcoming scent of pineapple and grinned. A piña colada, huh? Even if the woman had some strange taste in scenery, at least she still knew a good drink.

"I see you're a man who's not afraid of a fruity cocktail, Mr. Makani," Popuri giggled, taking a small sip of her own. She suddenly flicked open her cell phone- which, oddly enough, was the same exact color of her hair- before she frowned, the creases on forehead revealing a brief glimpse of her true age. "Looks like we're on our own tonight..." she explained as she shut it once again.

Like I hadn't seen that one coming.

"They weren't coming, and you know it," I replied with a knowing smile. She actually looked a little startled at first, but I only chuckled at her surprised expression with those wide eyes of hers. Did she really think I wouldn't catch on?

"Guess there's no fooling an old man then, huh?" While I had a feeling that would be coming, I still took it as a cut against me. She clearly thought it was funny enough of a joke, though, since she couldn't keep herself from laughing quietly to herself.

I hadn't noticed until that moment, but when she laughed, I realize just how much jewelry she'd put on for this little date of ours. From her ears to her neck and even her wrists, she was covered in every silver bangle imaginable, and the light show I was getting from her alone was worth the ten bucks it took to get me in the place. It was really a shame, though.

After all, she was a sweet enough looking girl without having to go through all the trouble, especially for a man like me.

"I'm not that obvious, am I?" she said quietly, more to herself than to me. It was almost as if I wasn't even there for a moment or so as she stared off into space, but soon enough Popuri was back to smiling just as brightly as ever. Then she flipped back her hair back over her shoulder, and after a content sigh, she seemed to relax and eased back into her seat. "I was worried you wouldn't come out here with me if I just came out and asked."

"Don't worry about it," I assured her. "I used to do the same thing..." That was back when I was still running around, of course, but she knew enough about that. "So... is this a rave or whatever they're calling 'em now?"

"Well, raves are usually an underground thing," she explained, glancing over towards the dance floor. "There's probably still some E out there if you ask around, though."

"Trust me, that's just about the last thing I'm looking for." I fell silent for a moment as I stared off into the distance, but it didn't last for very long before I started running my mouth again. "A friend of mine used to pop that shit like candy... All he had to do was tell me about Suicide Tuesday, and I was off that stuff before I even though of starting it."

"Was that Denny by any chance?" she pressed, taking another sip of her cocktail. I was just about to answer when a thought suddenly hit me.

"How do you know Denny?"

"Oh, he called me the other day," Popuri explained without even giving herself a chance to blink. She laughed then before continuing on. "He said you left you left my number at his place by accident. Then he started to tell me that he was worried about you, but... when he gave me your number, I just couldn't bring myself to call."

"Ah, well... I wouldn't take him too seriously if I were you. He's always worried over nothing these days." It was nice of him to think of me, of course, especially given all the problems I'd caused him over the years, but that didn't mean I wanted him putting me up for things like this. After all, these situations had a habit of becoming awkward.

"Just so you know, I'm not interested in dating any one right now," I explained, letting her down as easily as I could. No matter how much of an asshole I could be, I was still enough of a gentleman that I couldn't bring myself to lie to such a pretty face.

"That's good," she replied with a smile, "because neither am I."

My mouth opened to say something, anything really, but for the first time, I had nothing. All I could do was stare dumbly at the woman right in front of me while I tried to make sense of what had just been said. She looked serious enough, her peculiar red eyes studying me from across the table just as I was doing the same to her, but as I was soon finding out...

When it came to Popuri, there wasn't much that went too far.

"I was just thinking that maybe..." She paused as her foot brushed up against my leg and continued on. "Maybe someone like you might want to have a little fun." I let her suggestion sink in for a moment, but when it did, all I could say was something so stupid my entire face flushed immediately after I went and said it.

"There's no way you're related to Rick."

Popuri stared at me for while, but her face ultimately became something so ugly that I couldn't even begin to describe it. "Everyone _always_ says that," she muttered. "My brother married a stripper for Christ's sake, but everyone's still looks at me like _I'm_ the one with all the problems!" After realizing what she'd said in her sudden outburst, she was more than a little embarrassed of herself. "Not that Karen's a bad person or anything, of course..."

"Did she even come home yet?" I asked. After all, I hadn't heard her voice in the morning like I usually did when she was home... unless she and her husband weren't on speaking terms any more. Not that it would surprise me any. They both had a lot on their shoulders, and being in one another's company seemed to only make things worse.

"No..." she sighed, shaking her head. "He found her, but... the thing is she just doesn't want to come home just yet." As if reading my mind, she quickly added, "They're not getting divorced as of yet, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it happened." Popuri was quiet then, and after a while, I figured she was done with the topic. However, she picked it up again before I could even think to change the subject. "I love her like a sister, but those two are always having problems."

"Maybe they just need a break then," I offered with a shrug. After all, I'd heard of such things, and although it rarely worked out in the end, there was still a chance that it could help them make it through. Knowing Karen, she just needed to cool off, and then everything would go back to normal.

"Well, I suggested they go see a marriage counselor," Popuri began with a heavy sigh and shook her head. "I even told them I'd pay for it myself if they needed me to, but you know how Rick is sometimes..."

"Yeah, stubborn as hell," I chuckled somewhat bitterly. Pride was all that man really had to his name, though, so I guess it was understandable that he wouldn't take a hand out especially from his little sister. Funny how I didn't even know the girl existed until now. After all, given how close he kept his family, I would've thought I'd seen a lot more of her during all those years the two of us had lived side by side as neighbors. "I can't imagine those two sitting down and listening to someone else tell them how to run their marriage anyway."

"That's actually not how it works," the woman corrected me with a reassuring smile. "A good marriage counselor is just there to listen and to guide the conversation along. It's really up to the couples themselves to work through any of the problems they might be having."

"Sounds like you have an insider."

"Oh, that's not it at all," she giggled. When I gave her an odd look, she explained herself a little bit further. "I work as a relationship counselor, but believe me, it's not very helpful to have a family member listening to your marital problems." As interesting as that sounded, I figured that was all there was to it and her profession. Once again, though, things sure got a lot more interesting with what she had to say next. "I actually specialize in sex therapy."

Honestly couldn't say I was expecting that.

After all, it wasn't every day that I ran into someone who claimed to specialize in sex unless you counted Karen and a few of the other, far less appealing, girlfriends I'd had in the past. "So you're telling me you get paid by people to improve their sex lives?"

"Basically," Popuri agreed with ease. Although I was originally somewhat stunned by her casual reply, I just had to chuckle at her indifference. Then again, I probably would've reacted the same way if that was just another part of my day job.

Now if only I knew where to apply for such a thing...

"People are embarrassed when they first come to me, of course, and a lot of my clients don't involve their partners in the consultations," she continued. "Most of them are women, but I have some men clients come in every now and then. Either way, I just try and keep it casual- try and make friends, you know?"

"I guess that means it's more about girl talk than therapy," I offered with a chuckle. Popuri just smiled.

"That's pretty much it," she agreed. "You'd be surprised what kind of problems they come to me with, though... Just the other day I had a client who told me she felt uncomfortable with her husband's fantasy." She tried not to laugh as she continued, but she had a hard time of it, giggling every so often while she told her story. "Apparently he'd always wanted to sleep with her and her sister," she explained with something I can only describe as a rather wicked grin.

"So what did you prescribe?" I asked with a sly grin of my own.

"As long as her sister was willing to participate and all parties were in agreement of what was going to happen, she should at least give it a shot."

"Well, aren't you generous?" I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. After all, what woman would actually encourage that kind of behavior? Definitely not one I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting before, and I was pretty damn sure I'd never find another one who'd be so open to the idea after her, either. "I'm guessing she didn't take your advice, though."

"Wrong again," she corrected me. "She actually told him she'd be willing to... but only if he'd let her sleep with him and his brother at some point." When my jaw dropped somewhere between shock and total awe, Popuri only laughed. "Unfortunately for her, his fantasy changed pretty quickly after she suggested it to him."

I don't really know what I was expecting when I first agreed to join the young woman for a night out, but it definitely wasn't sitting across from her in a club and talking about the sexual lives of strangers for five hours straight. I also hadn't planned on her being able to out drink my one piña colada with a piña colada of her own plus three cosmos while still managing to be coherent afterwards other than a few bouts of the giggles.

Of course, I didn't really think she'd want to spend the night at my place, either.

Unfortunately for me, and I suppose her as well being that it was _her_ idea in the first place, there just so happened to be an older brother standing at my door by the time we returned. If only looks could kill... or maybe it was for the best that they couldn't. After all, there would've been one hell of a murder taking place on floor number seven right about then if it was possible.

"Kai, I swear to god I'll-"

"Rick, drop it." To be honest, I think Popuri's tone scared me more than my neighbor's death glare, but maybe that was just because I'd never heard a woman's voice get that low and menacing before. At least it gave me fair warning that some serious shit was about to start. "We were just hanging out with some of my friends."

"No, you weren't," he deadpanned. "I called Luna earlier." Her mouth opened to protest, but he didn't even give her a chance to explain. "You really should tell me when you're going out."

"Like you need to know where I am every damn second!"

"You don't even know this guy!" he snapped back. I actually thought he was being fair on that point, but apparently his sister didn't agree.

"And you know him any better?"

"All I have to know is he slept with my wife!"

"Rick, _everyone's_ slept with her..." she insisted, rolling her eyes. I don't think either one of us were expecting what she said next, though. "And that's including me!"

With that, the war was officially over. Even I wouldn't have had anything to say back to her after hearing something like that. However, Rick was left not only at a loss for words but gasping for air as well while all the blood rushed straight to his head. That's more or less how we left him after only a moment of silence between them, and it was easily one of the few times I actually felt sorry for the poor guy.

I'd also be the first to admit I was a little scared of the woman as we made our way into my apartment with her keeping a firm grip on my arm. She only let go to take off her strappy heels and her seemingly endless array of jewelry, but she was clearly still angry since every shoe, bracelet, and earring was thrown to the floor with such force that she even broke a heel and one of her bangles. After her tantrum was over, she finally decided to speak to me, but when she did, all it was a bunch of incomprehensible ranting about her older brother.

"He's just so... Argh! I can't believe he's still checking up on me! I'm twenty fucking eight years old, and he- Can you _believe_ he'd call her up just to find out where I was?!"

Just as quickly as the storm blew in, though, it was out again, and after it was all over, Popuri just flashed me a smile as an apology. I figured it was best just to leave it at that and not ask any questions. She had her moment, and being as I couldn't see any injuries to my person at the moment, I was willing to forgive and forget that anything had happened in the first place.

Besides, like most of the women I brought over, she was already making her way to my room, and that realization put an end to any other thoughts I might've had. However, unlike most of the others, she clearly wasn't all that impressed with what I had to offer.

"Have you ever thought of installing a rotating bed?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder. "Or maybe a pole?"

"Actually I was thinking of getting a mirror," I confessed with a laugh. Popuri only gave me a brilliant smile, and with that gesture alone, I knew I had her approval. If someone had told me I'd ever say such a thing to a woman, it would've been hard enough to believe, but the fact that she was all for it just made it all the more surreal.

"That's what I like about these old apartments," she said, running a hand over my sheets. "You can do almost anything you want with them, and no one says a thing as long as you pay the rent."

"Is that how your brother manages to keep a chicken over there?"

"Oh god, him and that chicken!" she laughed. Then with a sigh she explained, "Our family used to raise them when our dad was still around, but when we couldn't afford to keep the place anymore, Rick ended up taking her with us..." Her voice trailed off from there, but even though I couldn't exactly relate, I still understood. It was always hard on a person to give up everything just because someone else decided to walk out of a bad situation.

"Why'd he leave?" I asked quietly. "Your dad, I mean..." Popuri only shrugged at first, staring at the painting hanging over the bed, but soon enough she gave me an answer.

"Mom's always had a lot of health problems," she replied as she sat down on the mattress. "He was having a hard time paying the bills, I guess... and at some point he must've figured it wasn't worth even trying." I stood in the doorway, unsure of whether I should say anything or just keep quiet. Luckily for me, she wasn't finished with her story although the rest of it was just as depressing. "My mom doesn't talk about it much anymore, but apparently he told her he was moving across the country because his company offered him a better job."

There was another silence, one longer than any of the others that came before, and by then, I'd already decided to admit defeat. After all, if this was the time for us to share our lives' greatest disappointments, I might as well tell her mine as well.

"At least you knew who your father was," I said before sitting down next to her. "All I ever had was a mom who didn't want me and her boy toys." I couldn't even remember how many there were let alone their names. All I knew was that each and every one of them was an asshole in one form or another. A few of them even liked to knock me around just for fun, but there was no point in telling her about that. Wasn't like it was ever anything serious anyway... Just a few bruises here and there. Nothing major.

"Have you talked to her at all recently?" Popuri asked. I only shook my head. What was the point? I left home at sixteen, and during that time, she never once came looking for me. Resort town or not, she still could've went out to find me, but she never did which was more than enough for me to understand that she wasn't ever going to.

Probably for the best, though, since I wouldn't have gone back even if she asked me to.

"Well, this certainly wasn't what I planned on doing tonight," the young woman next to me sighed somewhat bitterly. I just chuckled since I was just thinking along the same lines.

"Feel like you're getting in too deep already?" I offered with a smile. She sighed in reply, but there was a smile on her face as well. "Don't worry. I wasn't planning on doing anything anyway."

"Sounds good to me," she agreed with a laugh. "You do know that means you get the couch tonight, though, right? Those are the rules, after all. If you're not sleeping with me, we don't get to share the bed."

"Not very subtle about getting things your way, are you?" I teased before rolling my eyes. Popuri just gave me one of her signature smiles, but all I could do was sigh and grab a pillow for my night out on my own couch.

Just one night, and I was already tamed and whipped.

--

**Author's Note:** Popuri was actually going to be a law student when I first decided that I wanted her involved in the story somehow. To help pay for her schooling, she was also going to be Trent's personal secretary. As for why she became a relationship counselor with a primary focus on sex therapy instead, it was just a whim I had on a road trip I took.


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

"Not bad at all, Denny. Not bad at all..."

"Quit looking at her like a slab of meat," I warned, sending a glare in Kai's direction. The man only laughed, but I still decided to make it a point to keep a close eye on him for the rest of the day. I suppose I really should've considered the consequences of bringing to the beach with us before inviting him in the first place, though.

After all, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between lingerie and swimsuits, and for a guy like him, it was probably Christmas in July just to see all that skin.

"All I was saying is you picked a good looking woman for yourself," he tried to assure me. The only thing I could really do was give him another stern glare, but not surprisingly, he just grinned before offering me a shrug as an apology. "Just sayin'..."

"Yeah, you're always 'just sayin'..." I muttered to myself, making a point of looking in the other direction. Still, I managed to let my gaze drift over in Chelsea's direction for the first time since she changed into her swimsuit, and although I didn't want to admit it, she really did look damn good in that yellow bikini of hers. The fabric fit every curve of her body perfectly, and even though it was a little tight around her-

"Mr. Denny... Why don't you want Mr. Kai to look at Mama?" I glanced down to find Alisa gazing up at me with her big blue eyes and a slight, uncertain frown, but I just had to smile all the same.

"Because he's a creepy old man," I explained. My friend only scowled.

"Hey, just who are you calling creepy? I sure as hell wasn't the one watching her out of my apartment window." My entire face flushed to hear him mention my old habit, but her daughter only continued to stare up at me in wonder.

"Well, I don't exactly go around picking up other guys' girlfriends," I shot back. Although Kai just laughed at my weak attempt to defend myself, it was then that I felt a small hand slip into my own. Alisa didn't say anything at first, but after a moment, she finally decided it was time to save me.

"Do you know how to swim, Mr. Denny?" I glanced down at the little girl once again, but all I saw was a smile.

"Do you want to learn?" She nodded, of course, but it didn't take long to figure out that she already knew how to. She could float on her back easily enough, but what surprised me more was how the little girl would just dive in head first without even thinking about it. Unfortunately, though, she hadn't learned how to keep the water from going up her nose when she went under, and so as soon as she'd come back up to the surface, she'd be sputtering and gasping for air. I didn't laugh since I was worried it might upset her... but I have to admit it was hard not to. She was just trying so hard that I couldn't let myself even crack a smile at first.

"She likes you." I glanced back at Kai to find he was wearing a well-meaning smile instead of that stupid grin of his, but as soon as he realized he'd been caught being serious, he seemed to go right back to his usual ways. "That's probably the best thing you've got going for you right now, you know."

"It's not about that," I hissed back at him.

"That's not what I meant," he assured me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I just meant that it's good to see you like this..."

"Like what?"

"Just letting yourself have some fun for once," he explained. "Ever since we met, you always seemed to kick yourself for enjoying anything." I might've frowned to hear him say it, but I had to admit he was right. I did have a bad habit of shooting myself down as soon as I started getting somewhere in my life. Maybe it was just in my nature, though. I couldn't really say.

"Mr. Denny, did you see me? Did ya?" Alisa's face back into clear view with her red hair clinging to her cheeks and over her eyes, but she was still grinning up at me as if it was the best thing in the world. "Did you see me?"

"Of course I did," I assured her with a smile. "Looks like you already know how to swim." I thought it was a compliment, but as soon as I said it, her face fell. I looked back at Kai for some help, but all he did was shrug. "What's wrong?"

"Dad told me I can't swim," she replied, bowing her head. "Not really..."

"Were you having fun?" I asked. She frowned at first, but after mulling it over, she gave me a small nod. "Then that's all that matters, isn't it?" Another nod. "If you still want to learn, though, I can always show you how to."

"But how about some ice cream first?" my friend offered, holding out his hand for her to take. However, she refused to move anywhere near him and only stared at it instead. I held back a laugh, but he didn't seem to notice or even care. He just put his hands in his pockets and started off for the boardwalk with Alisa trailing along behind him. Even with him seemingly going out of his way to treat the little girl, I knew what was really on his mind.

He just wanted to give me the opportunity to find out who that little girl belonged to once and for all.

I wouldn't lie by saying it hadn't been weighing heavily on my mind, but when I looked over to where Chelsea was sunning herself, I began to have second thoughts. If she didn't want to tell me without my prying, then did I really have the right to ask her about it in the first place? Maybe it was better if I just kept my mouth shut... For whatever reason, though, I decided I'd better go through with it- if only to prove to myself that I wasn't a complete coward.

Before I was even aware of it, I was sitting right next to the woman as she continued to sun herself, but once I got there, it was like my whole mouth went dry.

"You know, when you go to the beach you're not supposed to be wearing jeans," she teased with a faint laugh. "Especially if you plan on going in the water." I felt my face warm as soon as she said it, but I wasn't about to take off any of my clothes with her around... not even my shirt. So what if it was just a black tank? It was still staying on. "After all, it was your idea to come down here, so you might as well enjoy it."

"Well, it was actually Kai's idea... I just asked you to come is all." Then, worried that she might misunderstand me, I corrected myself. "Not that I didn't want you to come in the first place, of course." She only shook her head and laughed quietly to herself, but I still felt my face warm once again.

"Relax, Denny. It's not like it really matters either way."

I nodded, but like her daughter, it didn't necessarily mean anything. It was just a way to keep myself out of trouble.

"Has Alisa always said 'Mister' when she's talking to someone?" I asked. After all, she had to the first kid I ever heard of who'd say something like that, and it was a little awkward hearing her use it before my first name. It just didn't seem like something a normal kid would do...

"Oh, her father taught her that," she explained. "It was just about the only thing that man ever did for her."

"So who _is_ the father?" I asked rather suddenly. The question hung in the silence that suddenly fell between us, but just when I went to apologize for being so blunt, Chelsea sighed and went to take off her sunglasses. While I'd expected to earn a glare from her, I was surprised to find her eyes were soft without the usual storm brewing just behind them.

"Vaughn..." she said quietly, her gaze never leaving mine. "Vaughn Matthews."

--

"You can't be serious," my friend sighed just as we pulled out of the woman's driveway. I just waved to the little girl out on the front porch. "Their last names aren't even the same..."

"It doesn't take much to change a person's name, Kai," I reminded him. I should know. My name changed a lot over the years before I finally settled for Thompson, and if the rumors was right, Vaughn had been in a similar situation growing up. "He was a Matthews in school, I think."

"You 'think?'" he repeated with a laugh. "Your memory is always terrible..."

"Well, it's not like I ever planned on having to remember any of this," I muttered, resting my chin in my hand. High school was just high school, after all. It wasn't a beginning or an end; it just was. "I'm pretty sure he wasn't always a Williams." Then again, maybe that was an error made out of desperation on my part. "I could be wrong, though."

"One thing's for sure... You make a lousy detective." I rolled my eyes then, but I knew he had a point. I really didn't know a damn thing. "Do you even know _her_ last name?" My face warmed as I looked away and out the window, but he only laughed. "You really are hopeless, Denny."

"It's not like it ever came up," I insisted. Still, I knew I'd feel like an idiot when it did finally come up... as if I didn't feel like one at that very moment "It doesn't really matter. He's not exactly the kind of guy who'd take his wife's name..."

"You don't even know it's the same guy."

"But it could be."

"Fine. Then why don't you ask him about it?" he challenged, taking the next turn a little too sharply. "Don't expect me to play back up if he decides to kick your ass, though." When I raised an eyebrow, he only stared out at the road ahead of him. "I'm just warning you that that guy has one hell of a mean foot..." he explained, fighting back a shiver.

"He's not that kind of a guy," I assured him. "Besides, Gray was the one who laid you out the last time. Not Vaughn."

"Yeah, but he was the one who kicked me after dropping me on the floor." Well, there was no arguing that. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it, of course, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell him that. He probably knew it well enough without me telling him anyway. "And now you're gonna try to bust this guy's ass about this woman and her kid when he's probably not even the guy you're looking for. You can't honestly tell me you know what the hell you're even doing."

"So what if I don't? It's not like _you_ know what you're doing half the time, either." Kai just sighed and shook his head in defeat, but I was frustrated enough as it was without him acting like I was being the dumb one.

"All I'm sayin' is that maybe you need to do a little more digging," he explained, pulling up in front of my building. "You're always asking me if you're going too far, and now I'm telling you."

I only sighed as I got out of my friend's car, but once again, I knew he was right. I was walking into this blind, and that meant I was only going to end up screwing myself over when it was all said and done. I needed to pull my head out of my ass if I wanted to get anywhere.

Still, my mind just wouldn't let it go. I wasn't usually the kind of person who'd listen to a gut feeling about much of anything, especially not something like this. It was too far out there. Even knowing that, for whatever reason, I couldn't keep myself from thinking about it all the same. It wasn't just about knowing the man that came before me, though, because I was more interested in knowing just what kind of failure of a father would leave such a wonderful little girl behind.

"Kuu, I'm home!" I heard the familiar flutter of wings, but instead of coming to join me at the door, my small companion landed beside the phone on the counter. To be honest, I'd pretty much forgotten about the thing, so when I looked at the screen, I wasn't really surprised to find that not only was the battery just about dead but I had about twelve missed calls as well. However, what _did_ surprise me was who'd been calling me all that time.

"God dammit, Denny, pick up the damn phone once in a while!"

"Sorry, Dan... I've had a lot on my mind lately." At first, there was only silence on the other end, but then I heard my cousin's laughter. What made me smile, though, was the sound of Eve's voice calling to me from the background. "I take it you guys are doing well."

"We sure as hell are doing better than we were," he assured me. "How's Kai doin' if you don't mind me askin'?"

"He's recovering," I replied, scratching Kuu under his chin. "No hard feelings, though, right?" After all, I did feel guilty for letting it happen even if I knew it really hadn't been any of my business to begin with.

"Not when I'm the one who got the girl!" he laughed. "Ain't that right, baby?" Eve said something in return, but all I could hear was a muffled reply. Apparently it was quite the remark, though, since my cousin was soon roaring with laughter. "Well, we'll just have Denny tell 'im that size ain't everything, I guess!"

"I'll be sure to send the message along," I chuckled, shaking my head. "Enough dick jokes, Dan. What'd you really need to tell me?"

"Oh, that's right... Hey, think you can help me out with somethin'?" I fought back a heavy sigh since I knew all too well that this was gonna be one hell of a favor especially with my cousin being the one asking. "I need to borrow some money."

Money. I should've known...

"Listen, Dan... I'd like to help you out, but I can't right now," I sighed, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I'm kind of stuck if you know what I mean."

"You're stuck? With what? Ain't like you to have problems..." I bit my lip, debating whether I should say more or keep it to myself, but then I heard Eve start talking to him again. After a while, there was the sound of the phone being passed, and even without her saying a word, I knew I had my cousin's girlfriend on the line with me.

"Anything we ca do to help you out?" Just hearing the pleasant sound of the woman's voice was almost enough for me to dismiss the whole thing, but that nagging thought from earlier just wouldn't leave me alone. So I did the only thing I could think of.

"You went to Asherton, didn't you?" I asked. "Do you remember Vaughn? I think he was in your class..."

"That tall guy? With the black hair and purple eyes?" When I assured her that was the one, she seemed more than a little stumped. "Why would you ask about _him?_ Is he the one causing you problems?"

"Not exactly," I replied. " I just wanted to know if you remember what his last name was..." There was only silence on the other end, and at first I thought that maybe she didn't hear me or the connection went dead. However, after a long pause, I heard Eve's voice once again. This time, though, it didn't sound so pleasant to me. If anything, it just put me more on edge.

"It was Matthews... Vaughn Matthews."


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

"What do you think you're doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doin'?" I replied bitterly, downing the last of my drink. The woman glared at me for a moment with her arms crossed as her foot tapped irritably against the hardwood floor, but I didn't really give a shit what she thought of me. I already knew I'd screwed up, and I sure as hell didn't need her to remind me of that fact.

"I thought you quit drinking." I just muttered something ugly under my breath, resting my head in my hand as I stared a hole into the brick wall across from me. She didn't even seem to notice since she just kept right on a going. "Does she even know you're here?"

"Like I'd tell her that," I snapped before sliding my glass towards her. I could just see it... Claire's blue eyes filled with disappointment and understanding just as I walked in the door smelling like scotch and cigarettes. With that thought, I suddenly realized that I'd left the last of mine at home on the kitchen table. Just my luck... No wonder the liquor was going down harder than it should've.

"You know, you could at least _call_ her to let her know you're alright," the waitress continued as she brought me my drink. I just shrugged, taking a long sip from the glass. "That poor girl's probably worried sick about you right about now."

"She shouldn't be."

"But she _is."_

"Muffy..." I sighed, trying to keep myself from becoming frustrated with the woman. "Why would I bother? She's probably in bed now anyway." Calling her at that time of night would just make things worse as far as I was concerned. Besides, it wasn't like she didn't already know where I was and what I was doing... roughly speaking, that is.

"Yeah, and she's probably having nightmares about what could've happened to you, too," she replied, sitting down next to me. Her "Come on, Gray... I'm sure this is all just a simple misunderstanding..."

_Like hell it is._ "That bastard knows exactly what he's doin'..." I muttered darkly into my glass as I watch the ice dip below the amber liquid. "Coming into her office with flowers... and right there in front of me. Like I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Bull shit, that's what it was. Just fucking bull shit."

"Now you don't know what that was about," the woman chided me with a wag of her finger before resting her hand on my arm. "You didn't even know it was her birthday until he said something, so if you ask me, you should be a little more grateful to him. That man could do a lot more than just buy the girl some flowers, you know."

"It's not today, it's Sunday," I snapped back. "And I don't think it's right that he knows and I don't." After all, I didn't see why she couldn't tell me about it... It wasn't like she wasn't worth the trouble of planning something special, and even if she felt that way, I'd do my damnedest to prove her wrong.

"Well, if you're going to be an ass about it, you can just leave."

Before I could say a damn thing back to her, Muffy had me by the collar, all but jerking me off my stool until I latched onto the counter. She was surprisingly strong for a woman her size. "H-hey... What do you think you're doin'?"

"Throwing your sorry ass out of my bar is what I'm doing," Muffy explained, giving me another sharp tug which knocked me to the floor. "I don't have the time to deal with you if you're not going to at least try and be reasonable for a change," she continued as she started to drag me across the floor. "And in case you didn't know, that means learning to talk to your woman instead of drinking yourself dumb."

With that, the woman had brought me to the door, and soon after, she threw open the doors and did exactly what she told me she was going to do. She kicked my ass out.

In her fucking four-inch heels.

For a while, I just sat there staring at the closed door in front of me and wondering just what the hell happened, but when I finally came to, it was all I could do not to barge right back there and demand to be let back in. However, that thought quickly ended after I heard the door slam open again and saw Muffy storming back outside, a cell phone in hand. And just when I was about to prepare myself for another scolding, one that I figured would end with her chucking the damn thing at me, she brought it to her ear.

"Sorry, Claire, I haven't seen him, but if I do, I'll be sure to tell him to come home _right away,"_ she assured the young woman, her eyes never leaving mine. I just scowled at her as she said it, knowing she was directing those words at me instead of the other on the phone, but that soon ended when I finally realized just who she was talking to. The only problem was whether or not I wanted to talk to her myself. After all, if I took the phone now... "Okay, honey, you have a good night then. Buh-bye." She clicked it shut then and glared down at me with those bright green eyes, but as she watched me pick myself off the pavement, she seemed to take pity on me and offered me a smile. "So... are you going home then?"

"You didn't e'en talk to her, did you?"

"Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't," she replied with a wink. "All that matters is that you're going home now... isn't that right?" I glared at her, but I kept quiet. After all, whether I liked it or not, I knew she had me pegged, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to make things any different. No matter what I did when I got there... I had to go home.

--

Claire was laying there on the couch, curled up into a snug little ball with her face buried in a pillow when I walked in the door about a half hour later. She looked so helpless, the phone still held tightly in her hand as she slept. I didn't even bother to look for her cat since I figured he was already on my bed. However, I guess it would figure that I'd end up stepping on the damn thing's tail as soon as I stepped into the living room.

It gave out a yowl and shot like a streak of lighting, and in that very same instant, the tiny woman bolted upright. Her eyes were wide at first, but when she realized it was just me, they were suddenly filled with relief. A look that made my gut tie itself into a damn knot.

"Oh, Gray... y-you're home..." she managed to squeak out, smoothing back her hair. She said it so quietly that I barely heard her, but she made herself clear enough when she threw her arms around me. I flinched at first since I figured she could smell the alcohol on me, but if she did, she didn't even mention it. "I tried to call you... but I didn't know where you'd be. Then I thought about calling around town to find out if anyone had seen you, but I-"

"Yeah..." I sighed, resting my hand on her head. "I know, I... Maybe I should get one of those damn things. A phone, I mean..."

"That's alright," she assured me as she held me even tighter. "I'm just happy you're home," I sighed again and closed my eyes, but just when I was about to tell her exactly where I'd been, she started up again and cut me off. "Oh! Before I forget, I have your dinner in the microwave. Here, I'll get it for you!"

"Claire, it's really not that big of a-"

"Just sit down, and I'll warm it up for you," she insisted, nudging me towards the table and wearing a smile. "I think you'll definitely like it. After all... beef _is_ your favorite, right?" I just stared, wondering if she could possibly be the same woman I'd left only hours ago, but I finally managed to say something that sounded somewhat sensible.

"Wait, you actually bought _meat?"_

"You sound like you're surprised," she giggled, turning the dial. "I know it's not what I usually cook, but... since I won't be home much this weekend, I thought we could celebrate tonight." At first, I didn't know what she was talking about, but when I looked in front of me and saw them, I remembered right away. Not that it was easy not to since I was sitting directly in front of those hot pink daisies of hers.

"That's right... Your birthday's on Sunday, isn't it?" The woman flinched at that point, and as soon as she did, I realized just what I'd said. "About that... I'm sorry. I really didn't know about it until now."

"It's okay. I didn't exactly tell you about it," she assured me with a soft smile. "Although I'm kind of surprised you didn't know since Elli bakes me a cake every year." I froze, thinking back over the last few years, and then it hit me. I wasn't usually one for sweets, but I still vaguely remembered seeing a cake in the break room at some point... which meant it should've been painfully obvious to me from the start what the occasion happened to be.

"So did you ask her to put all those pink roses on it?" I asked, trying to sound like I hadn't already made an ass of myself.

"Well, pink _is_ my favorite color, but... I never told her that. I guess you could say it's just like how she always makes yours blue." Even though she didn't say it out right, that was apparently the clue that told me I was in trouble.

"Alright, so I didn't notice," I muttered, slumping back in my chair. "Sorry about that..." I knew my apology wasn't the best, but I didn't know what else to say, either. I was stuck. She didn't seem to mind, though, only offering me another one of her all-too-understanding smiles.

"Don't worry about it too much. I know you've got a lot on your mind lately."

"Will you just let me mess up for once?"

"If that makes you feel any better," she giggled, putting the plate down in front of me. At first, I told myself that she was just yanking my chain about it actually being honest to God beef, but all it took was a single bite to know how wrong I was. It was a genuine steak alright... and even though she probably would never eat the stuff, she still sure knew how to cook it right. "Now eat up before it gets cold."

I stared at her for a minute, asking myself if it was even possible for anyone to be like that. Always so damn forgiving, I mean. After all, sometimes I couldn't stop from thinking that she probably didn't even cry as a kid... just in case someone got offended. Before I could even ask her that same question, though, she disappeared into the bedroom, and I was on my own again. Well, other than the damn cat who'd apparently decided he could forgive me now that there was food on the table.

However, the only thing I really cared about once I'd finished my meal was the vase and, more importantly, the flowers that she'd stuck in it. However, what caught my attention in the end was the little card sitting next to the bouquet. It was small, not even the size of my palm, but what was written on it was more than enough to make me wonder.

_To an innocent little girl on her birthday. Love... _Mark?

I sat there for a bit, just staring at the damn thing in my hand, but it wasn't long before I barged into my room to find out just what the hell was going on. Especially since I'd never heard of this 'Mark' guy until that very moment.

"Mind telling me what bastard sent you those damn things?"

"Gray! You could at least _knock_ before you come in here!" I hadn't noticed when I first came in, but as soon as she said something, I realized that Claire was standing in the middle of the room with her skirt around her knees. Not that it really mattered, but still. "And that 'bastard' happens to be my brother."

"Your what?" Claire just sighed, sliding out of her skirt and letting it pool around her ankles, but she didn't say anything for a while. Instead, she just continued to undress herself until there was nothing left, and I was apparently supposed to pretend that I didn't notice. So I didn't. "You never told me you had a brother..."

"I have _two,_ actually. William, who's ten years older than me, and Mark, who just so happens to be the youngest."

"So what'd the other one get you then?"

"A book about flowers and their symbolic meanings," she replied, pointing to a book on the dresser. "They like to get me gifts that go together for some reason." _So daisies must mean innocence then... _Well, they couldn't really get more right on than that. Although with what I'd seen of her lately... maybe she wasn't that innocent, after all. "They both still act just like a couple of little boys..."

"It must've been nice to have 'em around, though, huh?" I said quietly, more to myself than her.

"Oh... that's right. You're an only child, aren't you?" Her tone was gentle, almost understanding in a way, but I still glared at her even though that was the last thing I wanted to do. She didn't seem to notice, though, and even if she did, she didn't make a big deal out of it. Like always, she just apologized. "I really didn't mean to make it sound that way... I'm-"

"Yeah, I'm the only one," I agreed with a shrug. "Probably for the best, too, if you ask me." After all, my parents couldn't even handle one kid, let alone two or more. Especially not Mom...

"Gray, you don't have to say something like that."

"I just say it because it's true," I insisted, snatching up one of my old cigarette butts. I tried to light it as best I could, but in the end, it was pointless. "Sorry I was being an ass earlier... I just-"

"It was because Kai brought them to me, wasn't it?" Claire asked with a knowing smile. "Well, I'm sure Mark would've had you give them to me if we weren't living together. He loves planning surprises, though, so he probably thought of that beforehand."

"Wait... so you actually told them about me?" I asked doubtfully. She only stared at me for a moment before offering me a weak nod.

"Of course, I did. Why wouldn't I?"

_Maybe because I'm a recovering alcoholic who just fucked up?_ I sighed as I sat on the edge of the bed, but I kept quiet. It just wasn't worth the trouble of telling her... not when she was already miffed at me for all the crap I'd pulled that night. "I guess I figured you'd just wait a while is all."

"Your family doesn't know about me yet, do they?" Claire didn't sound surprised to know that fact, but I still hated the way she said it. Like I'd done something wrong. What it was, though... I had no idea.

"Trust me, you don't want them to." Maybe Gramps would be okay, but there was no way in hell I was gonna ever let her meet my father.

"Alright, that sounds fair enough," she agreed, sitting down next to me and resting her hand on mine. I glanced over towards her, making a small note in the back of my mind that she was wearing one of my shirts, but when I actually looked at her, I was more surprised to find she was smiling at me. "What is it?"

"Shouldn't you be mad at me?" I asked, not even realizing just how stupid that question was. Talk about putting your own damn foot in your mouth...

"No," she assured me with a sigh. "Because I know you have a reason for it even if I don't understand it or even know what it is." Then she smiled before turning away from me again. "Of course... since you're keeping secrets, I guess you don't need anything special tonight." With that, she started to crawl to her side of the bed, but she didn't get far before I took a hold of her wrist to stop her.

"Now, wait a minuter. What'd you mean by that?"

"Doesn't really matter," she replied with another smile, this one more clever than the last. "But maybe if you get home earlier next time, we could do something special, hmm?" When she saw my expression, she just laughed. "Good night, Gray."


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

"Claire, it's five thirty..."

"I know it is, Gray," I sighed as I clenched yet another bobby pin between my teeth. Of all the mornings to be difficult, my hair had apparently decided it wasn't going to cooperate willingly, and so I was busying myself for all out war. A good half a can of mousse had gone into the battle already, making it rather stiff, but my bangs were being as stubborn as ever and refused to lay back. "But I promised Mum I'd be there on time."

"Yeah... at _noon,_" he muttered, his head still stuck under a pillow. "You don't even get up this damn early for work." I felt my face warm when he said it, but even though I knew it was true, I also knew that he didn't really understand my situation. Not that he ever could have, of course, being as I hadn't told him much of anything.

"I just want to make sure everything's perfect," I explained, turning back to the mirror. "I don't see her very often... so I want today to be special."

He only grunted, his words muffled by the mattress, but I decided it just wasn't worth arguing with the man. If he wanted to be a grump about today, I wouldn't even bother... or at least that's what I told myself I would do. The real problem I had was whether or not I could actually stick with that kind of conviction.

Luckily for me, though, he was snoring again soon enough which meant I wouldn't have to listen to him or his grumbling for another couple of hours- if not more, knowing him. Of course, it wasn't that I didn't appreciate his concern, especially after what I had to deal with on Friday night, but I just knew it'd end up as another argument.

Just why was it that men had to be so childish about such things?

Even Kai had had his jealous moments during our time together although he'd acted out in different way entirely. While Gray was one for sulking, he always did everything in his power to get my attention, and once he had it, I'd be damned if I could get rid of him.

With that thought, I laughed quietly to myself. Apparently I'd have to be careful about what I said for the rest of the day since, by the sounds of it, I'd picked up on Gray's swearing streak.

It was actually rather sad to me that he swore so often since he really was too intelligent for that kind of thing, but like so many of his habits, it'd be a hard one to break. Even if I wanted to, I also knew I wouldn't be able to so much as try to convince him to watch his language. Besides... I had a feeling he wouldn't quite be the same man without his colorful vocabulary, and I was sure I wouldn't be the only one to feel that way, either.

--

By the time I finally managed to get myself in order, it was already a quarter past eleven, and I was still unsatisfied with not only my hair but everything else as well.

"Do you think this lipstick is a bit much?" I asked, checking myself in the flip down mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time since we got into his truck. "I mean... it's not too bright, is it?" The man only sighed.

"Claire, I don't know a damn thing about that shit," he muttered as he switched lanes. "It's not like you look like a whore or anything."

"Gray!"

"What? You asked..."

"Yes, but you could've put it a lot better than that," I sighed, digging through my purse. "I knew it was too bright... I guess I'll just have to go without it."

"I told you it was fine," he muttered, his fingers drumming on the wheel as he stared straight ahead. "It's not like she's really gonna care." I nodded weakly, but even though I would've been more than happy to agree with him, I knew all too well how wrong he was. It _did_ matter. Maybe not to me, but...

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked, his voice unusually soft with concern. I hesitated for a moment, torn between saying yes or no, but I finally shook my head. It wasn't like I didn't want him to be there, though. If anything, I wanted him to talk me out of going in the first place.

"I'll be alright," I assured him, finding my lash curler just as he pulled up to the corner. "She's my mom, after all, so everything will probably be alright."

"Probably?" I only sighed, not caring to explain, and opened the door. Like always, it took me a minute before I managed to swing my legs over the seat and slip down onto the street. Once I did, though, I tried to offer him the best smile I could, and while he didn't say as much, I knew just by the look on his face that Gray was annoyed with me for even trying. He kept the engine running as he sat there, and it was only after I waved to him and started for the café that he drove off. Of course, my heart sank to see him actually leave me behind...

But even so, that feeling quickly disappeared when I found my mother already waiting for me out on the little patio in front of the darling shop.

She was perfectly poised as always, sitting with her back straight and her ankles crossed. There wasn't a single blonde hair that was out of place on her head, and she was dressed in her favorite white dress which had been tailored to fit every graceful curve of her lithe body. She was examining her nails- that had just been manicured, no doubt- but before I'd even gotten a chance to say hello, her eyes snapped up from her elegant hands and fell heavily on me.

"Oh..._ there_ you are, Claire." Her smile unfolded just like a flower, the two soft pink petals parting ever so slowly to reveal a brilliant white center, and I held back a shiver. "I was worried you were going to be late."

"Well, I thought you might be early, so I tried to get here in plenty of time," I explained, cautiously sitting down across from her. "I'm sorry if I made you wait..."

"Not at all," she assured me, her smile never fading. I knew better than to believe her, though, if only because I saw the disapproval in her eyes. They were light blue, like Gray's, but unlike his... there was no warmth in them. It was almost as if they were completely frozen over. "But I must admit I was wondering why you asked me to meet you here... Don't you have a place of your own?" I only blushed. "Well?"

"I'm having new carpeting put in."

"Ah, that would explain it," she agreed with a nod. "I was worried you might've moved in with that... _man_ of yours."

"You mean Kai?" As soon as I said it, my face flushed all the more, but I didn't try to explain. After all, what was said was said, and there was no way for me to un-say it. I could only watch in horror when my mother raised a well-groomed brow, and I readied myself for the worst.

"Of course. Unless there are _other_ men you'd like to tell me about..."

"That's not it at all," I tried to explain, my voice cracking. "It's just that... we broke up a little while ago."

"Is that right?" While she sounded doubtful, she didn't push the issue at first, and mulling it over, she took a small sip of her tea. There was another resting on my side of the table, but I was already too nervous to even think of having any myself. It was a shame, too, since I knew the Calloway only served the best. Madelynn's had always been Mum's favorite... which was the last of three reasons why I'd thought to bring her there.

"Do you remember how we always used to come here when I was little?" I began wistfully, gazing out over the little street. "William and Mark would order strawberry shortcake every time... and you-"

"You're changing the subject." I blushed, but although I tried to assure her that wasn't the case, she cut me off once again. "Have you even _thought_ of finding yourself a decent husband, Claire?" she asked, her voice stern as she returned to examining her nails. "If you are, I don't think you're being very serious about it."

"Well... it's not like finding a job, you know," I laughed faintly. "I can't exactly fill out a few resumés and applications for that kind of thing."

"You'd be surprised..." I froze. At first, I told myself that she couldn't possibly mean what I thought she meant, but just by the way she kept her steady gaze, I knew all too well she meant just that. "I set up a profile for you the other day," she explained, taking another sip of her tea. "There were at least two that seemed interested in you, and I really think they're worth your time. After all, one of them happens to be a lawyer."

"And the other?" I sighed, shaking my head. How she came up with these things... I don't think I would ever know.

"He's a doctor," she replied, smiling once again. "A plastic surgeon, actually. He's very intelligent, and you know Mrs. Han? Well... her daughter went to him about her nose. Remember how it had that bump? Well, it's gone now, and she's more _beautiful_ than ever." I only nodded, wondering how my own mother could be so shallow. Unfortunately for me, she had never been one for modesty when it came to her opinions- especially her opinions of me. "Just imagine what he could do for you."

_"Excuse me?"_

She only blinked as if she was actually surprised that I was so insulted.

"Come on now, Clare..." she sighed, setting down her tea. "A little fixing up never hurt anyone. Why I've had a few surgeries myself, and I don't regret a thing." When I didn't reply, she rolled her eyes and tried again. "I mean... if you're going to wear that atrocious shade of red, then you could at least make your lips a little fuller. They're much too thin." I blushed, my fingers resting on my lips while I did so, but she didn't even seem to notice. "And you've gained some weight, too, haven't you? Not surprising, really, but all the same, I think you should-"

"I think you should just shut the hell up."

Without warning, I felt myself being jerked up from my seat, and standing there beside me was Gray, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman who was still sitting with her cup hovering at her lips. I didn't even have time to say a word before he started to pull me along behind him, but it seemed that my mother wasn't about to let the man run off with her daughter without an explanation. She quickly managed to trot ahead and then turned back to face us.

"And who are _you?"_ she asked, jabbing him in the chest. Although she was no taller than myself, I was surprised to see her standing there so defiantly, her hands resting on her narrow hips. "I don't think Claire has ever mentioned you..."

"She didn't fucking mention you, either."

"Gray!"

"Well... aren't _you_ charming?" she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes as sharp as ever. "I can see my daughter still has an interesting taste in men... and by interesting, I mean appalling."

"Thanks. I try," he muttered while brushing the woman aside. I could only trail along behind him, my wrist throbbing from being caught in his tight grip for so long, but I didn't have time to say much of anything before he turned back to face her one last time. "Oh, and by the way... you might want to get the rest of that damn face of yours fixed. It looks like shit."

With that, he dragged me around the corner, and after all but throwing me into the cab of his truck, we were roaring down the street and blowing past at least two red lights on the way. It was only after we'd made it downtown that I was even able to think. Even then, though, the only thing I could think of was my mother's expression as he stormed off with me in tow, and without warning, I started to laugh.

"Get her face fixed?" I managed to squeak out, the tears rolling down my cheeks. "You actually _said_ that?" I laughed even harder to see him look away, his own face burning red all the way to his ears, and I thought I actually saw him crack a smile as well.

"So she didn't know about me, huh?" I stopped laughing then as my own face began to warm, but he only shook his head and chuckled. "And you were giving _me_ hell for not telling my old man... How the hell does that work?"

"You saw how she is," I protested weakly, averting my gaze from his own. "I... I just thought that..." I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts, and after a while, I started again. "She's always been hard to please, so I... I didn't think that it would be..."

"But you told her about Kai."

"That's because-" I paused. "How long were you there?"

"Long enough," he grunted, glaring back out the front window. "She sure as hell wasn't what I thought she'd be, though. I can tell you that." I laughed at first, but it died away soon enough as soon as I realized just how many times I'd thought the very same thing. "She's a bitch."

"She's not that bad," I insisted, shaking my head with a heavy sigh. "She just... Well, she always wants things done in a certain way," I tried to explain. "In her mind... I guess I'm not doing things like I should."

"That's bullshit."

I only smiled softly as I turned to stare out the window. I never really expected for Gray to understand since there were still times when I didn't quite understand her myself. Maybe I was only making more excuses for her, but when it came to my mother, I always did my best to make sense of her and her decisions. Even after all these years, about the only thing I knew for certain was that she didn't say all those terrible things out of spite or anger.

She said them because, in her own way, she really did love me.

"Will was her favorite," I rambled on. I wasn't exactly sure why I did, but somehow I felt as if I should- if only to put my own mind at ease for a time. "Things always came so easily to him... especially money. Right now he's actually the president of his own corporation." I smiled fondly at the thought. "He's very modest about it, though... I don't think I've ever heard him brag even once."

"And Mark?" I only blinked as I stared at the man in disbelief as we pulled into the driveway, at a loss for words. After all, I never would've thought that he'd show any interest in my family, and yet he was clearly listening to what I had to say. "How does he fit into your mom's plan or whatever the hell it is."

"To be honest..." I hesitated, trying to decide how to word it just right. "Well, he's gay for one thing."

"So I take it that was a problem?"

"Maybe it wouldn't really matter to me or you, but... Mum was devastated when he told her." So much so that she actually threw him out of the house when he was only fifteen. If it hadn't been for Will taking him in even while away at college, he probably would've been left out in the streets. Not that I would've just stood by and watched him waste away- or even worse- of course, but I had a feeling that he needed my brother more than anything during that time. It would certainly explain just why the two had always been so close. "She has no right to treat him as badly as she does..."

"What's he doing now?" I smiled, and soon enough that smile became a grin. After all, even if my mother never learned to appreciate him and his talents, he certainly came into his own once he'd left home.

"He's a broadway actor," I replied. "Right now he's performing in _Chicago,_ but he's so stubborn about getting me to come to see him that he never tells me what role he's playing until I actually go there to see for myself."

"That's fine an' all... but you still didn't give me an answer to that other question."

"Which one was that?" I asked as innocently as I could manage. Of course, I knew what he meant, but I still tried to play dumb. I guess I should've known better, though. When it came to Gray... there was no getting around much of anything. To be honest, I was more surprised that he'd let me avoid the issue for so long in the first place...

"The one where I want to know how the hell she knows about Kai and not me," he muttered darkly before lighting himself a cigarette. I sighed, trying not to roll my eyes. My mother may have been a bitch in his mind, but apparently that was less important to him than his rival possibly having something over him.

"It's not like I wanted her to find out about him, either..." I explained, sliding down further into my seat. "He ended up going to see her himself." With a bouquet of roses no less.

How he even managed it, I didn't know, but what I _did_ know was all the trouble he caused me afterwards.

Although I would never think to tell Gray about it, my mother had actually approved of Kai at one time... at least in the beginning. Then, of course, she found out he was a simple purchasing agent, and that was the end of that as far as her good graces were concerned. From that day onward, she had been determined to find someone more suitable for me, and while I hated to admit it...

For once she'd actually been right about such things.

"I don't see why you're still so worried about him," I continued, opening my door at last. The man only grunted in reply, and I decided to leave it at that. After all, as far as I was concerned, the matter of Kai was done and over with, and after having that thought, I made it a point to walk with him into the house. "It's not like I'm going anywhere, Gray..." I assured the man as I leaned into him. "I'm staying right here." He stiffened at first, but then I felt the relief wash over him as his whole body relaxed.

"So where were you planning on going after dropping me off?" I asked, watching him carefully. Then, just by the way his whole face flushed, I already knew I had my answer. "You weren't actually going anywhere at all were you?"

"Well..." he began quietly, running his fingers through his hair. "You were just so worked up this morning that I figured something must be up, and then... well..." He sighed. "Just... drop it, okay?" I smiled as he glanced away, but while his head was turned, I stood on my tiptoes and gave the man a soft kiss on the cheek. It was what I said that made the poor man blush an even deeper shade of red than ever before, though.

"I love you, too."


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

"Damn... out again."

"Ms. Hart? Is something wrong?" I glanced up from the paperwork on my desk to find my secretary gazing down at me, her eyes filled with worry, but I could only sigh as I shook the small empty box in my hand.

"Just out of cigarettes," I explained. "Been running out a lot lately..." Hell, it wasn't even noon, and I'd already gone through the two packs I'd brought with me to work. I didn't know what was eating at me so bad, but whatever it was, I was already sick of it. "What's the rest of today's agenda then, Elli?"

"The usual, Ms. Hart," she replied after taking a look at her clipboard. Then with a soft, pleasant smile, she noted, "It's been rather quiet here, hasn't it?"

"Yeah... too damn quiet if you ask me." There hadn't been so much as weird look in the past two weeks, and although I should've been grateful to finally have peace in our little office, I still had my suspicions that something was about to go wrong. After all, it just wasn't like these people to get along willingly even under the best of circumstances. They were always at one another's throats, but for whatever reason, all of that had stopped completely. "It's like someone died around here."

"Please don't say that, ma'am," Elli chided me gently with a smile. "It's good to have things running so smoothly for once... in my opinion at least." I nodded in agreement, but I still couldn't help but sigh. Maybe I was just asking for trouble, but something about the whole situation didn't sit right with me which probably meant that-

"Ms. Hart? May I come in?"

"Door's open, Miss Muller," I called out, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. The young woman slipped in the door with her head slightly bowed, and I couldn't keep myself from cracking a smile to see her peeking in. She was just so timid... like a little mouse. Really, it didn't take much for me to understand why there had been such a fuss about her not too long ago. She was clearly one of those girls that was too innocent for her own well being, the kind that saw the good in everyone. In other words...

She was her own worst enemy.

"I-I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I think you need to go see Mr. Williams right away." I frowned, studying her carefully for the moment, and noticed she was wringing her hands nervously while her eyes darted from my face to the floor.

"Mind telling me why?" I began drumming my fingers on the arm rest as I gazed up at her skeptically. "He isn't causing you any trouble, is he?"

"Oh no, that's not it at all," she assured me as her cheeks flushed. "It's just that he and Mr. Thompson seem to be having an argument." I only sighed, grumbling to myself that it just must've been another one of those all too familiar days starting up again, before leading her out of my office to see just what was up. "I don't think it's anything serious, though..." she continued to ramble on. "At least they haven't been yelling at one another."

"Vaughn doesn't yell," I muttered under my breath. All the man usually had to do was glare, and whoever happened to have set him off would shut it. Of course, I couldn't exactly see Denny having enough of a backbone to stand up to him for this long, either, so there was still a slim chance I could be wrong.

"You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Even if I did, I don't think that's any business of yours," a cool voice replied. I smiled despite myself just to hear the remark, but it disappeared as soon as I stepped into the office. There I found both men standing and facing each other, neither one bothering to notice me or my own heavy gaze, and even though they weren't swinging just yet, the air was still heavy enough to choke someone. If it came to blows, though, I could easily tell who would be the winner. After all, Vaughn had the further reach.

"We have a problem here, boys?" It was only after I opened my mouth that the two broke off their staring match, but even then I could tell they were keeping an eye on one another. "Or can we all just get back to work like we're supposed to? That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Yes," Denny agreed, glaring back at the other, "but it's hard to do your job when you've got something on your mind."

You know... I never really liked the kid all that much. Maybe it was just the way he thought or what he thought about, but whatever 'it' was, it didn't have any place on my payroll. If it hadn't been for his friend's willingness to vouch for him every time I thought I should cut him loose, he would've been canned the day after I hired him. However, my own thoughts were cut short by the other's reply.

"And how is that my fault exactly?" For the first time I could remember, Vaughn actually sounded annoyed for once. His violet eyes were as sharp as ever, but there was a darkness in them that caught even me off guard.

"All I'm asking is if you were ever married to a woman named Chelsea."

"I told you that it wasn't any of your business."

"Why not? I'm the one who's going to raise that little girl of yours."

"I never said she was mine."

"You didn't have to."

"This is all well and good, fellas," I began, cutting their argument short once again. "But in case you've both forgotten, we've got work that needs doing. If you still want to take care of all this shit, then save it for your break." The men both hesitated at first, exchanging a quick glance between them, but soon enough they gave me a nod before Denny slipped back out through the door. With him gone, I sat down on the edge of the other's desk and studied the other.

I had always thought Vaughn was a good looking man... but even I had to admit I never would've considered him to be the marrying type. However, from what I gathered from their conversation, it seemed to me that he had actually been one at some point.

Not that he was now, of course.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "I'm not going to ask." When he didn't give me so much as a shrug in reply, I just smiled. After all, I knew I couldn't really expect much of a reaction from him. "Not now, that is," I added with a smirk.

"Maybe I don't want to tell you, either." I laughed, but while I'd expected him to glare at me for finding his remark so humorous, he just slid his glasses back on and went straight to work. He didn't say anything else to me or even himself, but I sat there for a little longer just to watch him do just that.

He wasn't anything remarkable, really. His hands weren't graceful or elegant... and at the same time, they weren't clumsy or scarred. They just were. Even with his striking eyes and silver hair, he was just like any other man I'd ever met- the good ones anyway. Honest and hardworking were the only words that came to mind whenever I tried to describe him, and that wasn't exactly original even if it did fit him. Still, for whatever reason, that thought continued to stay with me as the day wore on...

And I hated every minute of it.

What really got to me, though, were men in general. If it wasn't Kai, it was Denny, and if it wasn't Vaughn, it was Gray. "I tell you, Elli, I've had it with all of 'em..."

"All of _who_ exactly?" she asked, blinking in confusion. I sighed, waving her off, and after offering me a slight bow, she was out the door. Unfortunately, just as she left, another all too familiar face popped in, and I groaned to see just who it was. Couldn't he just leave me alone for once?

"Makani... I don't have time for you right now," I sighed before glaring up at him. "And if you're here because of that kid of yours, you can forget it. If he starts shit like that up again, he's out of here. Same goes for you and Smith."

"Jeez... I didn't even say anything." Although he chuckled to himself, I only narrowed my eyes. "Rough day, huh?"

"You have no fucking idea." And how could he? He never had to deal with what that went on in that office, and half the time he was the one to blame for the shit hitting the damn fan.

Kai had screwed up not one but _two_ orders that day- something which was only caught at the very last minute, I might add. Claire, like always, took the news well enough, but I was only grateful that I'd managed to keep Gray from trying to snap the neck of the man responsible for making him work a little overtime. It was like babysitting trying to keep all of them in line. Even _Vaughn_ had caused me some trouble... although I was still convinced Denny was the only one at fault there.

"You could always take a vacation," my unwelcome companion suggested, taking a sudden interest in the papers piled up on my desk. "One that doesn't involve a funeral, though... if you can manage it, that is."

"Like I really expected the old man to kick the bucket."

"Come on, Grace... I didn't mean it like that." I only muttered an incoherent reply, but he didn't even seem to notice. He'd apparently moved on from nosing through my work to flipping through the pages of my personal planner, and before I was able to snatch it away from him, I saw him jot something down on the inside. Once I did, though, he had the nerve to look hurt by my sudden action. "What'd I do?"

"That sensitivity training is a bunch of horse shit, isn't it?" I snapped, glaring up at him. I'd apparently struck a nerve with that one since, as soon as I said it, Kai made an unusually ugly face. It was caught somewhere between disgust and fear, but it was clear to me that he wasn't happy to be reminded of the experience.

"I wouldn't take it all that seriously," he agreed. He was quiet for a time, but that ended soon enough when he suddenly grinned from ear to ear. "Of course, I guess I have to thank you for sending me there."

"And why's that?"

"Because with you sending me over there, I never would've met such a great girl," he explained with a wink. _How the hell?_

"You really are a sly little bastard..." I sighed, throwing myself back into my chair. He only laughed, and although I tried to fight it, I couldn't stop myself from smiling as well. "How'd you rope this one in then?" I asked. "I know you're just _dying_ to tell me..."

"Didn't have to do a thing," he chuckled. "She was the one that moved in on_ me."_

"Is that so?" Well, that would certainly be a first. At least that I was aware of since he was usually the one to sniff them out, including me. For a girl to actually come to him... it must've been the first sign of Armageddon.

"But you know..." he continued, suddenly changing the subject. "You really should take some time off."

"Sorry, but not gonna happen..." I said while closing my eyes. "Nami made it clear she didn't want to have to deal with you people again any time soon." Not that I blamed her any. After all, my crew could test the patience of even the most disciplined managers, and if they had any questions about the necessity of having someone to watch over grown adults, they quickly came to understand just how absolutely necessary the precaution was. "Besides, don't think for a minute, Mr. Makani, that I don't know what you're _really_ asking for."

"I have _no idea_ what you're talking about," he assured me with a wide grin. "I just think you've been working too hard is all..." I just raised an eyebrow. "Really, Grace, I mean it from the bottom of my heart."

"Just get out of here before I have to throw you out," I teased with a grin of my own. "You'll get your time off when you get some actual work done around here."

"Fair enough," he laughed, offering me a gracious bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I better get back to the phones before closing time." With that, Kai stepped out the door, and I was left in peace once again. This time I was lucky, though, because once he was gone, I had no one else to deal with. There was just me and a stack of papers that needed signing.

Just when I was about to get to it, though, I remembered having seen him make a note in my planner, and while a part of me knew better than to look, I still decided it was for the best if I flipped it open. And there I found the entire month of October had been circled in bright red with his name printed in big, bold letters.

_"Makani!"_


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

I don't really know why I agreed to run away with the young woman. Even if it was only for a month, that was a lot of time to spend with someone especially when we weren't supposed to be serious about much of anything. Maybe it was just a naïve thought on my part, but I was starting to wonder just what was on her mind. After all, this vacation she insisted on wasn't cheap, and I should know.

Hawaii was my home turf.

I didn't necessary want to be there, of course, not like this at least. If it was up to me, I probably would've liked to have gone to Rio or the Caribbean. Still, it was her money, so I figured it wasn't right for me to complain about it. There'd be other vacations... even if none of them were with her.

"What's wrong with you, handsome?" I hadn't even realized she'd slipped into the room, but she seemed happy enough, giving me a kiss as soon as I turned to welcome her back. "You look like you're not enjoying yourself at all."

"Sorry, resorts aren't usually my thing," I explained with a reassuring smile. It was more or less the truth since tourists and everything that came with them were something I hated dealing with. The hotel chains, the expensive restaurants, the beachfront condos... All of it, really. The whole set-up was more than enough to make my skin crawl, and that was saying a lot for a man like me. One who wasn't really bothered by much of anything. "Where'd you run off to anyway?"

"Oh, you know... I was around." I just grinned.

"Find anyone?" Popuri only smiled before glancing away, but I knew she was just teasing. I couldn't really say the same for the night before, though, when she'd disappeared for a few hours. I didn't really care all that much, but it wasn't like I didn't know what she was up to. After all, she was a good looking girl, and with her wearing that white bikini of hers, well... I was sure I wasn't the only one who noticed, either.

"Let's go out tonight, Kai~ We've been here for three days, and all you've done is come out here and have _one_ drink."

"Well, I'm not really one for alcohol."

"No one said you have to be," she teased with a laugh. "Anyway, that's all the more reason for you and me to go out and have some fun. I'm sick of this hotel room."

I only held back a sigh. While I had to admit that was just as tired of simply staring out onto our oceanside view, I really couldn't bring myself to join in on any of the activities that the islands had to offer a couple like ourselves. Given how late in the day it was, our only real option was to go to a luau, and that was just about the last thing I wanted to do. Hula skirts and fire eaters just weren't my thing, I guess. "You used to live here, didn't you?"

"On the Big Island," I agreed as I leaned on the balcony railing. "I never really liked living there all that much, though."

"Really? I think it'd be great to grow up in such a beautiful place..."

"It is... if you can have it to yourself." I sighed. "Most of the beaches are for quests or residents only, and by 'residents,' I mean people who own beachfront property." There were public beaches, of course, but even those were so clogged with people that I didn't bother. All I wanted was a quiet stretch of sand, and what I found was usually a sea of bodies washed up on shore. Spring, summer, fall, or winter, they seemed to come in waves upon waves without ever seeming to end. Most of the younger people didn't seem to care, but it had always made me rather irritable.

"Do you still know anyone over there?" she asked, apparently trying to fill the silence that had fallen between us. I only shrugged. "Oh, come on. You can't tell me you haven't thought about going to see them while we're here."

"There's always Ronald. He's an older guy, though... older than me and you anyway." Popuri made a face to hear that, but I had already figured she wouldn't be too impressed with that offer. It was a shame, too, since I knew the man would've enjoyed our company. "Well, the only other person I can think of is Joanna... but she has a little girl at home."

"I don't mind," she assured me with a smile. "Little girls are a lot better than old men."

Popuri didn't seem to feel that when we actually got there, though. Not that I could blame her since the two didn't exactly live in the best part of town. It was tucked between a laundromat and an auto repair shop, and in true Joanna fashion, the lawn was uncut which left the weeds to stake their claim on the walkway and the toys that had been left forgotten in the yard. Still, at the very least I was able to assure the young woman that the inside would be in better shape... even if I had to lie to do it.

"Barley! Are you home?" My companion winced when I called out for the man, but I knew there wasn't any other way to get anyone's attention in that house. After all, even if the old man was more or less deaf, he was the only one that would actually bother to answer the door.

"Is that you, big brother?" I flinched a little to hear the familiar nickname, but the little girl didn't even seem to notice as she swung open the screen door and threw her arms around my waist, almost knocking the wind clear out of me.

"Good to see you, too, May," I chuckled as I patted her head. There wasn't a lot that had changed about her, aside from being a little taller and her two front teeth having finally grown in. She still wore her dark hair in tight braids, and I smiled to see she was wearing the same red smock she used to sleep in all those years ago. Of course, it didn't fit quite right now that she was older, but she was still as cute as ever.

"Well... if it isn't Kai." I glanced up from the girl to find her grandfather had finally managed to shuffle out from his bedroom. He, too, was more or less the same as I remembered him although he was noticeably shorter and missing a few more teeth than before. Even so, he still managed to smile for his unexpected guests.

"Is Joanna home by any chance?" I asked, my grin wide and hopeful. However, my expression drastically changed when the old man only sighed, stroking his long white beard in thought, but he said nothing as he gazed off into the street behind me with his eyes becoming dull and gray.

"It's just like you said back then..." he mused with a slow nod. "When you told me that she'd leave one day, I convinced myself that it would never happen, but..." He sighed. "I suppose these things do happen from time to time."

"That doesn't mean they should," I replied, trying to sound as sincere as I could manage.

He only smiled before giving a nod towards the small kitchen table. "You two just come and sit," he insisted before turning his back and shuffling over towards the small table that sat in the middle of the kitchen. Popuri hesitated at first, glancing in my direction, but I didn't even have to think twice before sitting down. May trailed along behind me, her bare feet sticking to the yellowed tile floor, and as soon as I found myself a chair, she was scrambling into my lap. "May, how about you get out the rest of that pineapple? It's your brother's favorite, you know."

"She's alright, Barley," I assured him as I pulled her into my lap. After all, she hadn't seen me in quite sometime, so it was only to be expected that she'd cling to me in such a way... Not to mention the poor girl spent most of her time alone. "We won't be staying for too long."

"Heading out again?" he chuckled with a knowing look in his eye. "You never were one for staying put."

"Please don't go, big brother," the young girl pleaded with me, her brown eyes wide with hope. "You never come to see me anymore..."

"Don't worry..." I assured her with a smile. "I'll stick around for a bit." May beamed to hear that, but when I lifted her up again and put her back on the floor, she started to pout. I didn't really have the heart to tell her the matter wasn't really up to me. Still... after sneaking a glance towards my companion, I could tell she wasn't about to leave the girl, either. Even if she did look more than a little uncomfortable. "Do you still have those sparklers I gave you for your birthday?"

"Uh-huh. Mama told me I should save 'em till you cam back to see us." I only smiled as she ran off for her room to fetch them, her braids trailing along behind her, but once she disappeared around the corner, I turned back to her grandfather. "Any idea where Joanna ran off to?"

"I really can't say..." he admitted with a heavy sigh. "She calls every now and then... but she never tells me much." Then, shaking his head, he continued to explain, "To be honest, I still don't know why she left in the first place." Although I didn't say as much, I thought I had an answer for that.

The young woman had just gotten restless, much like my own mother, and when it came down to it, it was either them or their children. It wasn't hard to see which choice won out in the end... Sad as it was, that was just the way things happened to work for some people.

"I found them, big brother!"

I smiled as May came running back into the kitchen, the box held tightly in her hands. When she held it up for me to take, I was surprised by just how much it'd been through since I'd sent it to her. The label itself was faded to the point where I couldn't make it out, and while it hadn't been opened, the corners were worn and frayed.

Even though the sun had set long before, the air was still warm as we stepped outside. Somewhere, a dog barked at a passerby and every so often I could hear a man's laugh, but I couldn't help feeling as though it was the most tranquil place left on the island. After all, the crowds rarely ever ventured here, and so the peace seemed genuine and not just something carved out in the hopes of earning a few more dollars.

"Big brother?" I blinked before I glanced back down at the little girl who stood at my side, but while she sounded confused at first, she still managed to smile up at me. "Can I see them now?"

"Of course," I chuckled as I popped the box open and dug out my lighter from my back pocket. She watched in wonder as the flame danced just under the small stick, and I just had to grin to see her jump back once it was finally lit. I chuckled as I handed it to her, "Be careful with it now."

She nodded early as she held it tightly in her hand, but as soon as she had a good hold of it, she went running out into the street. The sparks flew out behind her, and I watched while she spun around, making smoke patterns in the air. It was funny, really... how happy she could be with such a simple thing. Even when it went out, her smile never faded. She just bounced back to me for another.

By that time, though, she wasn't the only one. All of the neighborhood kids had apparently caught sight of her dancing in the street with her newfound toy, and before I knew it, the box was empty. May didn't seem to mind since she had all but forget about the sparklers and myself, choosing to run off to play with the other children instead. I could only look on while they disappeared from sight, having turned into someone's backyard, but I smiled all the same.

Even bittersweet as it was.

--

"Kai?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" I glanced up at the woman as she began undressing herself. We had only just come back to our hotel when she'd started to slip out of her dress, but even I could tell it was anything but suggestive. Neither one of us were in the mood for that... not after a night like that.

"Go ahead."

"That little girl..." She paused for a moment as she tossed back her hair and began fiddling with her earrings, but once she turned back to me, she began again. "Why did she say you were her big brother?"

"Because her mother told her to," I replied, slipping out of my jeans for the night. I sat there for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts, and after a while, I began again. "Sorry that she wasn't home... I didn't think she'd be gone just yet."

"I don't mind," Popuri assured me as she sat down on the bed next to me. She was quiet at first, but being as she was so much like myself, it wasn't long before she broke the silence. "You really are good with kids... Not just her, but my brother's kids, too."

"Not always," I replied with a chuckle. After all, one of her nieces was still convinced that I was the one to blame for their mother not being home like she was supposed to be. Not that I could blame her for feeling that way, of course. "I just know what they're going through is all."

"Them not having someone to rely on, you mean?"

"Something like that," I agreed with a shrug. "They still have somebody, though... even if it's not the people that _should_ be there." My companion nodded, a faint smile lingering on her sweet lips, and I found I had to smile as well. "Besides, her mom with show up eventually."

"How do you know that?" she asked while she continued to hold my gaze. I didn't give her an answer, only offering her a smile of my own. I might have decided to keep it to myself, but I still knew all too well that Joanna wasn't the kind of woman who could leave home for very long without getting herself in some sort of trouble. When she did, I knew she'd go running back.

"Now it's your turn."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I want you to tell me why you wanted me to come here with you," I explained with a knowing grin. Popuri blushed then as she glanced away, but we both knew she'd been caught. "You could've just asked me about it, you know."

"That wouldn't be as much fun as bringing you here," she insisted as she turned to offer me another smile, her hand resting on mine. "I just thought you might want to come home for a little while... that's all."

"I don't want to see her," I sighed, shaking my head and taking my hand back from her. I was a bastard child, the unfortunate result of a one night stand, and she had made it clear to me from the beginning that if she had the money, I would never have existed. And that was why... "If you want to know the truth, it's probably better if I _don't_ see her."

Popuri leaned into me then, breaking my train of thought as soon as I felt the warmth of her breasts against my arm and her breath across the back of my neck. "Then why don't we just forget about it for now... hmm?"

"Forget what?" I teased back with a wide grin. She only rolled her eyes at my joke, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh. It wasn't like I really could forget it all, of course, not after having her drag it all up again. I had to admit, though, that the whole day slipped into the back of my mind as soon as I felt her lips press against my own. When she finally pulled away, I only chuckled and ran my fingers through her hair. "Let's run away from this place, love... I hear Rio's nice this time of year..."

"Alright," she agreed with a pleasant sigh as she slipped herself into my lap and straddled me. Then, whispering in my ear, she eased me back and said, "But... for now... let's just enjoy tonight."


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

_"I'm sorry. The number you're trying to call is either disconnected or out of range. Please-"_

I sighed as I closed my phone once again, asking myself why I even bothered to try. I'd made sixteen calls to him, and he hadn't picked up on any of them. I should've been used to it, I guess, being as it _was_ Kai who I was trying to get a hold of. Still, he didn't have to go on vacation to God only knows where with that new woman of his without telling me... especially not when I had so much to deal with on my own.

Even work was becoming overwhelming for me, and I probably had the least stressful job in the whole damn building. I sorted mail for Christ's sake, and I didn't even have the patience for that. Every time someone came in for something, I felt like I was just about to lose it, and I still had to force myself to smile as I handed them whatever they needed.

There was really no one to blame for how I was feeling, either. I couldn't even point the finger at Vaughn since he had no idea what was happening. Even if he went out of his way to make trouble for her, he couldn't have known what his ex-wife was going through over the past few months, and he sure as hell didn't know how I figured into the whole mess of things.

'Denny, are-"

"What is it?" As soon as I'd said it, I had to look away. After all, I hadn't expected it to be her... "Sorry, Claire. I didn't mean to snap at you... It... it just hasn't been a good day for me," I tried to explain, resting my head in my hand. She only smiled.

"I thoughts so... That's why I was going to ask if you were alright." I was quiet then as I settled back into my chair, but even as dense as I was, I could tell she was worried about me. Not that I doubted what she had said, of course. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." It wasn't like she could actually do anything about the situation... "I'll be alright."

"You know... when people say that, they're usually anything but," she replied with a soft smile. She sat down on my desk, her skirt riding up ever so slightly while she did so, and I immediately turned away. It wasn't as if I was bothered by it, but something told me that if Gray caught me taking so much as a glance in her direction at that moment, I should consider myself a dead man. Or at least very close to it... "You don't have to be embarrassed," she assured me, having clearly misunderstood just why I'd looked away. "We all have our problems from time to time."

"But it's not my problem," I explained with a heavy sigh. I frowned, trying to put my thoughts into words. "It's just that there are some things that aren't my business, and even though I know that, I still feel like I should do something." Anything really...

Claire was quiet for a time, her blue eyes kind and filled with understanding, but when she finally spoke, there was a spark of gentle laughter in her voice. "You feel that way a lot, don't you?" I didn't say anything in return, but I felt my face warm all the same. "When Kai went to that club... I know I can't really say this for sure, but I think you felt the same way then as you do now. Am I right?"

"I guess so..." To be honest, I probably had only told her as much as I did because I was mad at him at the time, but I didn't say as much to her. After all, she did seem happier now... so maybe I had actually done something for her in the end. Of course, I couldn't really say whether that was the truth or just my ego getting the better of me.

"Well, I know it's not my place to say this, but... I think you should help her out."

"But I never said-"

"She's lucky to have a man like you, Denny." I flushed again when she said it, but the young woman only smiled before sliding off my desk and making her way back into the hall. Just as she was about to the corner, though, she turned back to me and flashed me a shy grin. "And that little girl is very lucky to have you, too."

"Thanks..." I murmured as I glanced back down at my desk. By the time I lifted my gaze again, she was gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts once again. I sat there for a moment, still lost in somewhat of a daze as I stared out into the empty space in front of me, but I nearly jumped out of skin when I felt my leg start to vibrate. What surprised me more, though, was who happened to be calling me.

"Denny? Oh thank God you picked up..."

"Chelsea..." I breathed a sigh of relief, but that feeling didn't last for long. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"My house..." Her voice was only a whisper at first, but then, for the first time, I heard the heart wrenching sound of a woman's sob.. "Denny, they're taking my home away from me. I... I don't know what to do. I just-"

"I'll be right there."

To be honest, I hadn't thought much through before I found myself running out the front door and into the street. I hadn't even bothered to grab my jacket in my mad rush to go see her, and not having the patience to wait for the bus, I picked a direction and started off for the house. I knew the woman wouldn't have to leave at that very moment, but I wasn't about to waste any time regardless of that fact.

It wasn't like I hadn't expected it to happen, of course. She had put the house up for sale just as she'd said she would, but time had clearly run out for her to find a way to make ends meet. Not that I was surprised. After all, even the houses that managed to sell went for next to nothing these days, and so even if she had managed to sell it, I doubted her situation would've been any better.

Still, hearing her break down like that... even if it was just over the phone, it was more than enough to put an end to any doubts I may have had about helping her out. I didn't really know what I could do for her just yet, but whatever it was, I knew I had to do it quick.

Having finally come to find the address, though, I found I could only stare up at the place she called home. I had seen it before when Kai and I had brought her and her daughter there after our day spent at the beach on that late summer's day, but standing there now... I saw just how painfully beautiful it was.

A high pitched roof with gingerbread trim, wood siding painted a bright and cheerful yellow, white windows with matching shutters, and even a white picket fence... It was the kind of house that any woman would dream of living in.

And now that dream would be nothing but a bitter memory.

Coming to the cherry red door, I hesitated with my fist raised at the ready, but before I could even knock, it opened and beckoned for me to come in. I could only stare as Chelsea smiled up at me, blinking away her tears while she struggled to do so. Her face was red and stained from crying, but we both chose to ignore the fact as she gestured for me to step inside into the living room.

If the outside was beautiful, I guess the only word I could use for the inside was perfection. Not that it was immaculate by any means, but it still reminded me of one of those pictures in _Better Homes and Gardens_. From the overstuffed couches and chairs to the buttercream walls and the honey-colored hardwood floors, the room was warm and inviting. Despite all that, though, I was still more than aware of the sadness lingering in the eyes of the woman standing next to me, and in the back of my mind, I reminded myself that there was once a time when Vaughn had lived there as well.

The asshole... leaving her everything and knowing full well she could never hope to keep any of it.

"I found the notice on the door after I dropped Alisa off this morning," she explained with a heavy sigh. "When I saw it, all I could think was, 'I thought they only did that in the movies.'" Chelsea tried to laugh then, but it soon became another sob. Although I wasn't accustomed to such things, I still tried my best to comfort her by wrapping my arm around her and drawing her closer to me. Her hair smelled just like honey. "I'm sorry, Denny... I really am," she choked out, wiping away her tears. "I guess it's finally gotten to me."

"When do you have to be moved out?" I asked quietly. She shivered a little to hear my words, but while I was readying myself for her to start to cry again, she stayed relatively calm. Even as she gave me the answer, she refused to let herself be shaken up any more than she already had been.

"Unless I start making payments again... we have three more months before we have to leave," she replied, resting her head against my chest. "Only three more months, and then-"

"How much do you owe?"

She hesitated for a moment before pulling away from me, but my gaze was steady as I took a strong hold of her shoulders. When she realized just what I was trying to say, her face flushed an even deeper shade of red. "Denny, you can't be serious... There's no way you could afford it."

"Yes, I can," I assured her with a smile. "I have some money we could use." As soon as I suggested it, the woman began to furiously shake her head. "What's wrong? Don't you want to keep this place?"

"Of course I do," she snapped, her eyes clouding over when she did so. "But that's not... You really shouldn't have to do all this for me. What about your boat? Isn't that what you've been saving up for all this time?"

"It can wait."

"No, it can't," she argued back, pushing me away with both hands. "There's just no way..."

"Listen..." I began with a sigh, taking her hands into mine if only to try and hold her attention. "Right now, I have about six grand in the bank." She only stared at me in disbelief, but I just had to chuckle. After all, I hadn't known she'd be so surprised... although I suppose I didn't exactly look like a man who was made of money. Not that I wanted to be, either, mind you. "Don't you think I could've bought that boat already if it was the only thing I wanted?"

"Then why-"

"Because it just seemed so pointless," I explained. "Even if I bought one, I didn't feel like I could enjoy it. I never really knew why I felt that way, but ... right now I think I understand." Then, tilting her chin up to have her look at me, I smiled again. That was the only dream I ever had... until at that very moment. "Now that I have you and Alisa to think about... and I realized that it doesn't really matter if I have that thing or not."

Chelsea was quiet at first, no doubt in a state of shock, but soon enough her eyes were filled with tears once again. "Oh Denny.. I don't know how to thank you," she began, stumbling over her own words. "Really, I... Thank you so much."

"I have one thing I have to ask, though."

"What is it?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking ever so slightly. I only smiled as I reach out to hold her and bring her close to me. I hadn't had time to really notice when I came in, but in that moment, I realized that she was wearing her yellow dress. The very one she had worn when we first met at the docks and even before when I only knew her as the mysterious woman outside my window. Her face was no longer burned by the wind and her hands now felt soft and gentle, but she was still very much the woman I had fallen for- even if I hadn't known it for the longest time.

Maybe it wasn't the right time, and maybe I should've waited a little longer... But when I thought about it right then, I decided I just didn't care anymore. After all, this time... it _was_ my business, and that's exactly why I had to ask her that one very important question.

"Will you marry me?"


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

**Disclaimer:** I have no rights to the song _Blind Prayer_ which was both written and performed by Rod Stewart.

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

"You can't be fucking serious..."

How the hell could women even wear half of this shit? I hadn't been in a mall, let alone a panty shop, since God knows when, but I still figured I should know a damn pair of underwear when I saw one. The stuff I'd found so far wasn't even close, and for being almost nothing but string, all of the prices were jacked up at least double what they were actually worth... if not more.

I'd only been in there for about ten minutes, but I was more than ready to leave by that time. I'd had just about enough of the place and the women that were in there glaring at me, but just when I turned to leave, I nearly ran right into someone.

She was a small girl, even shorter than Claire, and although I'd stopped just short of running into her, she still flinched. When she finally realized that there'd been no impact, though, her entire face went from being incredibly pale to bright red. "I-I'm sorry... I... Can I-I help you at all... s-sir?"

"Yeah, you can tell me how the hell to get out of this damn place," I growled. She winced, but after taking a deep, shaky breath, she steadied herself and tried again.

"If y-you're looking to buy for someone... I-I'd be more than willing to help." I was just about to tell her off when I realized that it wasn't just her voice that was shaking, it was her entire body. It was hard not to notice, though, since she was shivering to the point where even her plaid skirt and oversized sweater were quivering as well. "J-just tell me what size you need... a-and I-I'll do my best to offer some assistance."

What size? Damn if I would know. Every time Claire bought something, she cut the tag off as soon as she came home, and I sure as hell wasn't going to ask her, either.

"I don't know," I admitted with a frustrated sigh. I ran my fingers through my hair as I took a quick glance towards the young women going in and out of the store, but none of them came close to her figure. At least not in the chest...

"C-could you... describe her maybe?" she offered, swallowing hard. She went to tuck her bangs behind her ear, and when she did, the flimsy fabric of her sleeve fell around her elbow. I didn't even think about it before I caught a hold of her wrist, and although she jerked back, that brief moment of contact was all I needed.

"How about you tell me what size you are?" The girl only stared at the floor and continued to blush, but whether it was because I what I did or what I said, I didn't know. Or care if you really want the truth. Still, I figured I should give her at least some explanation since I sure as hell didn't want her to misunderstand me. "I think she's the same size as you."

After all, Claire was the only person I knew with wrists that thin.

"O-of course..." she agreed with a weak nod. "Well... um... do you know what style she would prefer?" More damn questions I didn't have the answer to. Just fucking peachy. "I-if you're not sure... we could always choose a variety. I-I'm sure you'll find something in our selection that... _you_ may like as well."

But it wasn't about me. It was about Claire and what _she_ would like... Sure, I'd see them, too, but I knew she wouldn't wear them unless she was comfortable. When it came to Claire, though, there were a lot of grey areas in that department, and I didn't know exactly what would or wouldn't work for her. The woman only owned seven matching sets, and maybe two extra pairs of panties, to her name, and all of them were the exact same other than maybe the color.

Hoping for another answer from the girl in front of me, I studied her for a moment. She noticed this and quickly looked away, but not before she bit her bottom lip. And with that as my only thing to go on, I knew I had my answer.

"Just pick out something you'd like." The order made her jump at first, her eyes wide with surprise as she turned an even deeper shade of red, but she nodded and turned to scamper off to rummage in the bins. Just before she did, though, I had one last thought for her.

"Make sure it's pink, too."

--

Fifteen minutes later, I found myself sitting in the cab of my truck, smoking a cigarette, and feeling fifty dollars lighter. Not that I really cared about the money since Claire was more than worth it. Besides, for a late birthday present, I still felt like I was being too damn cheap... if not downright selfish. It wasn't like she wouldn't appreciate it, but I knew I'd probably get more out of them in the end than she would.

Glancing at the bright green numbers displayed on the dash, I had another good hour to sit and wait before Claire would be ready to head back. How that woman could take so damn long when it came to buying groceries, I didn't have a clue, but what I did know was it was a pain in the ass for me to sit around and wait like this. At first, I thought I'd just settle in for a quick nap, but just as I was about to lay back in my seat, something caught my eye.

It was across the street, wedged between an adult bookstore and an abandoned bowling alley, but they weren't the reason it was so hard to miss. After all, the neon sign reading 'bar' in big fuck-off letters was more than enough to draw anyone's attention, and it was definitely working.

For me at least.

Still, I did try to ignore it, but I'll be damned if it wasn't near impossible. Even when I closed my eyes, the word burned through the darkness of my mind. I groaned in annoyance, cursing myself for being so desperate. I didn't need a drink... but even though I knew that, I sure as hell felt like I did. It wasn't even like I missed the taste or anything since I'd forgotten that long ago.

Soon enough, though, I found myself across the street and under those bright red letters, but I still hesitated at the door. Not because of what I was about to do but because of the sign hanging in the window. All it said was 'beer,' and as soon as I saw it, I had to wonder whether or not I should just turn back around and wait in the truck like I should've been doing in the first place. Just when I was about to, though, someone called out to me and the voice alone stopped me in my tracks.

"Gray, is that you?" I didn't even get a chance to say anything before I got the wind knocked out of me by a heavy hand catching me on the back of the shoulder. "It's been a while! How've you been, buddy?"

"Owen?" I asked, trying to get my head back together. The man nodded, a wide grin plastered on his chiseled face, and for the first time in a long while, I actually smiled as well. "It really has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five years," he agreed with a laugh. "Should've known I'd find you here, though."

Well, I could easily say the same damn thing for him. After all, back when I'd seen him last, he'd been the only man I knew of that could drink me under the table and still keep going. I chose to keep my mouth shut, though, if only because it really was good to see him again. It wasn't everyday that I could say that about an old friend, either.

"Let me buy you a drink then... since we're here an' all." I didn't even get a chance to turn him down as he threw open the door and started to push me inside with him. "What's wrong with you? Didn't dry up on me, did you?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Well, that works. So am I," he laughed, dragging me along with him to the far end of the bar. He sat us down on a couple of stools, and as soon as he got me there, he started in on me. "Jeez, you're stiff. All those numbers startin' to get to ya?"

"Yeah, laugh it up," I muttered, trying to hide a smug grin of my own, "but I can bet I'm making more than your sorry ass." He really laughed then, giving me another crack on the back, but it trailed off soon enough which told me I was probably right. "How's life back home?"

"Don't really know," he replied. "I haven't been there for a while myself."

"So you're living here now?"

He only shrugged, but when our bartender came up to take care of business, he lit right up again. "Hey, Gray, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine..."

"Come on, Owen. He knows who I am." I gave a start when I heard the voice, but the woman standing behind the counter only laughed. Just one look at her and I knew exactly who I was dealing with. After all, those green eyes of her hers weren't the only thing that hadn't changed... Hell, she was even wearing the same leather vest with the fringe that she had always insisted on wearing back in the day, and it was just about as snug as ever. Not to mention tacky.

"Really, Kathy... can't you let me have some fun with him for once?" From there, the two went on talking, taking more jabs at one another than anything else, and I was left with my own thoughts. Even those were quick to fade, though... right up until I heard my name again.

"What'll you have then, Gray? You feeling like scotch, gin, or vodka tonight?" I flinched.

"You feelin' alright, buddy?" Owen asked, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Cause you sure ain' actin' like it." I just stared straight ahead, frowning as my gaze fell on the bottles lined up right in front of me, but I could still feel their eyes studying me as I sat there arguing with myself. I'd already screwed up once by going back to my old habits, but...

"Vodka," I muttered, laying a wad of bills on the counter. "Keep it straight."

--

By the time I staggered back to the car, it had been just about two whole hours since I'd walked into the bar with my old friend. My smokes were gone, and I wasn't even sure what I had left in my wallet if I had anything left at all. The worst of it, though, was the fact that I'd almost completely forgotten about Claire.

She was curled up in the cab, already having put all of that evening's groceries in the back herself, and when I tried the door, I found she'd locked it on me. I couldn't explain why at the time, but the realization still made me smile.

I tried to keep quiet as I unlocked my door, but she still bolted upright as soon as it clicked. I just chuckled, staring back into her wide blue eyes. "Sorry about leaving you out here like this... I ran into a couple of friends, and-"

"Friends?" she asked curiously, fighting back a yawn. "From where?"

"Back home," I explained as I started the engine. She nodded, but I could tell she was having trouble staying awake just by the way her head continued to droop as well as her eyelids. She was so damn cute, but the poor girl just couldn't see it. "You gonna be alright?"

"Yes... I think so," she assured me as she made herself comfortable again. "I'm sorry if I fall asleep on you, though..." I only rolled my eyes.

"Don't apologize," I told her sharply. "It really doesn't matter to me if you sleep or not." She smiled before giving a yawn, and with that, I put the truck into drive and headed for home. She jostled around at first when I pulled out into the street, but it was clear to me that even by that time she'd long since fallen asleep again.

She looked so peaceful lying there, her hands folded neatly in her lap as her head rested against the window. In the flickering lamp lights along the road, I could just make out her delicate features as she slept on, and from her gently sloping nose to her bow-like lips and even the way her long hair framed her face, everything about her was just so damn beautiful.

I clicked on the radio then, keeping the volume low so not to wake her up, and I smiled to hear an all too familiar voice making its way through my crackling speakers. Taking one last look at my companion to make sure she was sound asleep, I couldn't help but sing along with the man. Just as long as no one else could hear me, of course.

_"I lost everything that I ever had. You kicked my name into the dirt."_

We breezed through two yellow lights, but as we neared the highway, I slowed her down. After all, I never knew what one of these nut jobs around here would try next, and I wasn't about to let anything happen. Especially not after I'd been drinking.

_"I never knew how much love could hurt me. Good God it ain't never come my way before..."_

We came to a red light, just off the expressway, and I dipped into my coat pocket to see if maybe I had one last cigarette on me somewhere. The song played on while I did so, but I only caught one line before the light turned green and I took my foot off the break.

_"God please don't take her away from me..."_

--

I opened my eyes, slowly at first, and as soon as I did, I felt a stab of pain nail itself right through my skull. I cursed, closing my eyes again and bringing my hand up to my forehead. Then I froze.

Was that... _blood?_

I whipped my head around to the left side of the cab only to find the seat was empty... save for the shards of glass that were scattered across it. At first, I could only stare, but then something made me look down. And thank God I did when I did.

Because there, on the floor, was Claire.

From the way she was laying, her body limp with her arms thrown out in front of her and her hair splayed out around her head and over her face, she looked like a doll that had been tossed there by a child. And just like a doll, she didn't seem to be breathing.

"Claire?" There was no response, but I tried again, only firmer this time. "Claire." Still nothing. "Claire!"

I went to reach for her, but I quickly found I couldn't move. I panicked at first, thinking that maybe the lower half of my body was useless to me now. It was only after struggling for a bit that I realized I was still belted in. As soon as I managed to get myself free, I made it to her side of the car and went to pick her up while trying to be careful of the glass that was sprinkled over her.

Luckily, my door was still in tact, and so it was fairly easy for me to lift her out onto the pavement to have a better look at her. It was only then that I thought I heard her moan. Even so, I was anything but relieved when I brushed back her hair to try and see her face.

"Jesus Christ..."

Even without being a doctor or having a fucking clue when it came to these things, I could tell she was in bad shape. Just above her left eye, there was a deep cut which I could only guess was from the window. That same side of her face had already begun to bruise a dark and ugly color, and even her bottom lip was split, making up for most of the blood. As for the rest of her... I couldn't bring myself to look.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Do I look like I'm alright, jack ass?" The man stepped back as I glared up at him, but once I realized he was a cop, I looked back down at the woman laying in front of me. "Get us an ambulance... _Now."_

"There's one on the way," he assured me while crouching down next to Claire and myself on the pavement. He was no older than myself, or maybe even younger, but what aggravated me the most about him being there was the fact he had the fucking nerve to smile at me. "It's going to be alright, sir. We-"

"Like hell it is," I snapped back. "Look at her for Christ's sake!" By that time, I had firm hold on the man's collar, but before he could say a single word back to me, I heard the sirens and dropped him.

From that moment on, everything became nothing but a blur of flashing red, blue, and white. The only thing I could remember in the chaos was Claire being lifted up on a stretcher, her tiny body looking even more so as they went to carry her away. Someone had tried to hold me back, but all it took was a glare and few choice words until I was running after her again. I barely made it in the ambulance before they closed the doors, but I wasn't about to risk leaving her.

Not now...

At first, I couldn't get anywhere near her with the medical staff all hovering around her. Words like 'coma' and 'internal bleeding' flew around me as they made their way into my own thoughts. At one point, though, I saw an opening, and in that moment, I found that her arm had fallen to the side of the gurney.

It was only for an instant, but right then, I reached out for her hand. I held onto it tightly, fighting back the tears as I was reminded of just how small it was compared to my own, but someone walked between us and her arm fell away again. It was then that I felt the first hot tears start to fall, and as I rested my head back on the metal siding, I whispered the only thing that came to mind.

"I'm sorry..."


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

"What the hell do you mean I can't see her?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I can't allow you to see her at this time. Visiting hours are from ten to six on weekends. No exceptions."

"Like I give a shit. Now get out of my damn way before I make you move."

"Sir. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"All I want is to see that woman right over there, and God dammit, that's what I'm going to do whether you let me or not."

"I'm sorry, sir, but visiting hours are over. Unless you are a registered family member, I-"

"Family? That's bull shit, lady. She's been living in my fucking house, and you're trying to tell me that-"

"Gray..." I winced as I said the man's name, but it was more because of the hoarse, grating sound of my voice than the pain I felt right then. The pain... Starting from my face all along my right side, I could feel it, but I still managed to smile through it all. The real trouble was trying to open my eyes. "Gray, what's happening? I can't see..."

"Just wait a minute," he assured me, taking my hand into his own. When he did so, I felt my entire body relax, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief just to know he was within reach. If he was there, then no matter what had happened I knew I could tell myself that everything would be alright. I wanted to tell him as much myself, but there was something I had to ask him first.

"We're in a hospital, aren't we?" I asked weakly with another sigh. It was really more of a rhetorical question since the smell of the place was more than enough to give it away. I could hear the sound of echoing footsteps in the hall, and as Gray shifted his weight, the flimsy sheets of the bed crackled around me. He took a deep breath, but before he could begin to explain, there was another voice that came first.

"Good, you're awake." It took me a moment to try and open my eyes again, but when I did, I found a man with a kind face gazing down at me from the end of the bed. Though his eyes were dark, the warmth I found in them put me quickly at ease. "I really must say I'm quite impressed with you, young lady."

"How so?"

"Well, for a woman of your size, I have to say you came out far better than I would have imagined given the circumstances," he explained. When I asked just what those circumstances were, his face became rather grave. "It was a drunk driving accident, I'm afraid." I felt Gray's grip on my hand tighten, but when I went to look at him, the man in front of me spoke again.

"The cause of the accident was a man driving off the freeway and through a red light at an undetermined speed, and from what the police have told me, the collision happened at the Ottawa Avenue intersection in downtown. The point of impact was just behind the cab of the vehicle on the passenger's side, and you were thrown from your seat at that same moment which I believe to be the main cause of your various injuries."

"And the driver?" The doctor only blinked at first as if he was unsure whether or not her understood what I was asking, and so I repeated myself. "What happened to the driver?"

"I'm afraid he was found to be dead at the scene." I gasped, clutching at my chest to hear the news, but when I did, a sharp pain shot all through me. However, I chose to ignore it as best I could. "I must admit I can only hope the poor man didn't suffer."

"Poor man, my ass," Gray muttered next to me. "He could've killed us."

I turned to shush my companion, but as soon as I caught sight of him, I was speechless. All down his face, there was a dark trail of blood that had snaked down his forehead and over the bridge of his nose. The blood had dried by that time, but I could still clearly see the gash just under his hairline.

"Gray, what on earth..." I sat up, with a little bit of difficulty, and shifted towards the right side of the bed where he was sitting to get a better look. He pulled away slightly, but I pulled him back to me. He winced as I brought my bandaged hand up to the wound, but when I spoke again, it was more to the other than the man I was studying. "Why haven't you gotten that looked at yet?"

"Your husband was very concerned about you," the doctor explained with a faint smile. He glanced in the direction of the raven-haired nurse standing in the door way and gave her a nod. She turned away with a huff, but not before sending a cruel glare in Gray's direction. However, her superior only chuckled to himself when he caught her. "You see, I'm afraid we had a difficult time convincing him to allow us to examine his injury because of that fact."

"Well, you're more than welcome to now," I assured him with a firm nod of my own. He cracked another smile, but my companion had no intention of having the good doctor see to him.

"Nothing a butterfly bandage couldn't fix," he argued, glaring at the man as if to dare him to even try to do anything else.

"I can promise you I'll get to him as soon as I can, but for now, I'd like to discuss your own injuries since you are happen to be conscious at the moment." I blinked at the man, unsure of just what he was talking about, but he was quick to explain. "May I ask if you've experienced some discomfort upon finding yourself here?" I nodded weakly, laying back down on the bed as I waited for the news. What he said next was more or less a blur to me with all the words running into each other, but I tried not to let myself become too overwhelmed by it all.

Not that it was easy by any means.

"As I said before, you are a very lucky woman to have survived an accident such as this," he began, clearing his throat as he picked up the clipboard from the end of my bed. "The worst of it seems to be two bruised ribs on your right side as well as a fractured wrist. As you may have realized, you also suffered a concussion upon striking the dashboard which resulted in a coma that you have only just come out of. I should warn you that there may be some slight memory loss, but although I may have to do a further examination, you should be fine. You were also in need of stitches above your right eye and lower lip, and in the next two weeks you'll need to come back to have them removed."

My mind reeled, and for a moment, I felt dizzy. Just when I thought I was about to faint, though, I felt the doctor's hand come to rest on my foot. "I know it's a lot to take in at the moment... but I believe you're a strong enough woman to pull through." Then, with a smile, he gave a nod in Gray's direction. "I'll be back momentarily, but I have other patients that I need to see to. When I come back, we can discuss any further treatment you may need."

"Is it all right if I stay here then?"

"As long as you agree to let me look at that cut of yours, you will be my patient, Mr. Smith." Then, with another smile, he added, "As such, you are more than welcome to remain in this hospital for the time being."

With that, Gray and I were left alone, but neither one of us seemed to know what to say to the other. After a time, he was the first to break the silence, taking a deep breath before he did so. "It was my fault..."

"No, it wasn't..." I assured him with a sigh as I closed my eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong." He was quiet again, his thumb brushing the top of my hand as he thought to himself. I could tell by the set of his jaw that he didn't believe me for a second, but when I went to try and convince him, he cut me off.

"I was drinking again." His face warmed as he said it, and letting go of my hand, he ran his fingers through his hair and let go of the breath he'd been holding all that time. When he did so, I couldn't help thinking it was time for him to get a trim, but I thought better of telling him as much. After all, now wasn't the time or place to be fussing over such things... although I was still concerned about that cut of his. "I should've seen that asshole coming."

"Gray, don't blame yourself..." I smiled as I reached out for him. "These things happen."

"But it _shouldn't _have!" he snapped back, jerking his arm away from me. At first, I could only stare in shock, but when he realized what he'd done, his face immediately softened. "I'm sorry, Claire... I just..." He sighed again, burying his face in his hands, and tried to put his thoughts back together. "When I saw you back there... I... I didn't know what the hell was going to happen. I mean... If I just looked, then-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, though."

"Don't you get it?" he growled, glaring back at me. "I fucked up. Alright? I fucked it up, and I know it. So don't tell me any of that bull shit of yours because I don't want to hear it."

His voice broke as he said it, and before I could even understand what was happening or why, the man choked back a sob and began to cry. He hid his face from me, burying it in his hands once again while he tried to compose himself, but I only smiled. Then, gently tugging on his sleeve, I tried to bring him closer to me so, at the very least, he could rest his head on my shoulder.

"It's alright, Gray..." I assured him, wrapping my arm around him in a clumsy embrace. "I know you're sorry... but it's okay now. I promise." He said nothing at first as he sat there, but without any warning, he soon laid his head in my lap. I only blinked, unsure of what I should do. After all, it wasn't like him to be this way. I blushed as soon as I realized his light blue eyes had been studying me, and it was all I could do not to look away just to escape the heaviness in his gaze.

"Why do you always let me get away with everything?" he asked. His voice was gentle as he said it, but I could only smile and shake my head. After all, if he had to ask such a question, then he really was hopeless. Not that I would've felt any different towards him if he was.

"Didn't I tell you?" I teased with a soft giggle. "It's because I love you."

He scowled, his face turning an even deeper shade of red, but it only made me giggle even more. "You really are stupid... You know that?"

"So says the man who won't get stitches."

"I told you. I don't need 'em..." he muttered, burying his face in my lap again. I sighed, shaking my head and asking myself just how I ended up with such a stubborn man, but he still wasn't having any of it. "It's not like it's that bad. If it was, it'd still be bleeding."

"If you don't let him check to make sure, I'm going to let him kick you out," I warned with a smile. "And don't think I won't do it."

"You're scared... aren't you?" I blinked, glancing down at the man as I raised a brow. He didn't say anything more while he rested there, but when he finally looked up at me once again, I had to look away. "Claire... it's really not that bad. I mean it."

So he knew...

"I'm alright," I assured him. But just when he was about to argue, I was quick to beat him to it. "And don't even think about saying it because I know I'm not, but I'm going to be. I know I will..." He stared at me for a while longer, but he didn't say another word. He only nodded in understanding, and so, with another heavy sigh, I shifted away from him and towards the far side of the bed. When he questioned me with a look, I blushed. "I don't want to sleep here by myself..."

"Don't you think the doc's gonna have a problem with it?" he asked even while getting up out of his chair. I tried to laugh, but I winced in doing so being as I wasn't expecting the sudden pain in my side. Before he could say anything about the matter, I took a hold of his sleeve, and after muttering something to himself, he slipped into bed next to me.

As soon as he was settled in, I rested my head on his chest, and although there wasn't much room left for me to curl up next to him, I sighed happily all the same. Even then, the smell of alcohol still clung to his shirt, but I didn't mention it. After all...

The worst was now over.


	40. Chapter Forty

**Chapter Forty**

"So why did you need to see me then?"

"Can't I just call up an old friend every once and while without being questioned about it?" I asked bitterly. The man only chuckled, shaking his head, but he kept quiet. At least until I went to have a smoke.

"You know you can't do that here," he reminded me. His voice was cold and even a little smug, but although I made it a point to glare at him, I still put the cancer stick back in its case. He gave me a disapproving look when he saw the others lined up at the ready, but I chose to ignore it. If he didn't like my choice in bad habits, that was his business, not mine.

"Figures you'd take me to a place like this..." I muttered, glancing off to our left. "This isn't a bar... It's a damn country club."

Large columns rose up in all four corners of the room and on either side of the front door, and all along the walls there were luscious silk banners in dark reds, rich golds, and delicious creams while glass lanterns flickered at the center of each and every table. A piano was being played at the far end of the room, but being as I didn't have an ear for such things, I couldn't say whether the music was any good. It was better than I could play in any case.

What irked me the most, though, was the crowd of people that stood in the middle of the dance floor.

From where we were sitting, I could see they were happily drinking champagne, and when paired with their tuxes and ball gowns, I knew they were a part of the prestigious, not to mention exclusive, old money society. I could bet every dollar I had to my name that not a single one of them had ever worked an honest day's worth in their lives, either.

"But they have good wine," my friend reminded me with a ghost of a smile. He raised the bottle of Merlot, and although I rolled my eyes, I still offered him my glass all the same. I watched with mild interest as the crimson elixir swirled in my glass. He watched it as well, but if the glint in his eye was any indication, he was much more impressed with the whole performance than I was. The poor fool...

"You always did have a taste for this kind of thing," I mussed, idly sipping at my drink.

"I'd hardly call a wine of this caliber 'a thing,' Grace."

"Well, Trent, some of us don't give a damn if it comes from a box from last week or a bottle from 1994," I replied sharply. He made no comment on that, but we both knew exactly what I was referring to. After all, the man didn't have many vices, so it was hard to miss the fact that he had only just spent a grand for a single bottle and locked it up in his cupboard at home. As far as I was concerned, whether it came from Harlan Estate or Uncle Chuck's backyard, that was too much for something that was never meant to last.

"How's work going to for you then?"

"It's hell..." I sighed, slouching back in my seat. "Right now I've got one on vacation and another on medical leave, and I don't know what the hell's wrong with the other two... They keep spacing out on me."

"You're in luck... You see, I may be able to shed some light on at least one of them for you," my companion replied. I gave him a curious look, but he only smiled. "Gray was the one driving when the accident happened, so if I had to guess, I'd say he's probably still worried about her."

Well, that would definitely explain the bandage he'd been sporting that day...

"How'd you find out all this?" I asked, a bit of humor ringing through my voice. "Are you spying on my little employees~"

"Hardly," he assured me with a dismissive wave of his hand. "My cousin just so happened to be the only doctor who was present and available when they were brought in, and he passed the word along to me."

"So much for patient confidentiality," I teased with a grin. "How is it again that you're the only one in your family not to become a doctor?" His face flushed as I said it, but I just continued to smile.

"You know why that is," he replied coldly. "Besides, I find I'm much better suited to the matters of business. There's no real attachment to it, and that alone is a comforting thought for a man like myself."

"Lucky you. I can't stop thinking about it." Not that I had a choice when it came to the people who worked under me. Just about the only people I could rely on were Vaughn and Elli, but I couldn't expect them to do the work load of four people and their own as well. With so many of my employees missing, even I had to pitch in, and it'd been a while since I'd done any serious number crunching. "How's Claire doing anyway?"

"Better than expected," he assured me as he took another sip of his wine. "But why we don't get right down to it, shall we?" I studied him for a moment before questioning him with a look, but his gaze never faltered. "I know you didn't come here just to tell me about your work."

A woman laughed on the dance floor, breaking apart the tense silence that had fallen between us. Her face was flushed and her high blonde hair had begun to fall, but it was clear to me that she was having the most fun when it came to her entourage. To be honest, I envied her for it.

"What do you say to taking this conversation back to my place?" he offered, having followed my gaze.

"I'd say I better have a lot more of this stuff before I even think about going home with you," I teased with a laugh of my own. My friend frowned at the comment, but that only made me grin all the wider. "Oh, come on, Trent. You know I'm not serious."

"Of course you're not," he agreed with a reluctant smile. "If you were, I'd have to be concerned." Now it was my turn to look disapproving as we made our way out the door.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I muttered sorely. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"That isn't it at all," he assured me while opening my car door. "If anything, I'm not good enough for you." His sarcasm wasn't lost on me, and I knew all too well what he meant. To put it nicely, he thought I set my standards too high.

And why shouldn't I? I had the best of everything, so what would make him or anyone else think that wouldn't apply to men? I wasn't about to cut corners, and as far as I was concerned, I had every right not to. I'd seen what happened to women who hadn't, and I knew I sure as hell wouldn't want to cut my losses like they so often did.

My sister had been one such woman, and now, after hearing it through the grape vine, I had found out she was filing for divorce. Whether or not she would actually go through with it was the real question. Of course, she blamed me for it since Kai had been the one to call her in the middle of Dad's funeral, but I knew the truth...

She finally had enough of Jamie and his bull shit, plain and simple.

Pulling into my friend's driveway just behind him, I had to smile at the thought. Not so much because I wanted to see Tina suffer- although I had to admit I laughed when I got the call from Takakura- but because it gave me a feeling of vindication. After all, I'd told my baby sister from the start that he wasn't the right man for her, and our father had told her the same damn thing. She had no one else to blame for that.

"Doesn't Elli live around here?" I asked as I looked around at all the picket fences. The question was more to myself than the man stepping out of his car, but he only shrugged.

"I'm not home much, so I wouldn't really know."

"You either, huh?" Not that it surprised me any. He might have said that he was impartial to his work, but I knew better. Whether it was studying for an exam or sending out one last memo before leaving the office for the night, he was a man who got things done, and he wasn't about to take any shortcuts. "Maybe I should move in."

"Wouldn't be the first time we've lived together," he agreed with a chuckle. "I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate it much, though."

"He's not my boyfriend," I insisted. Then came the realization that I said more than I intended to, and I had to backtrack."Wait... who are you talking about?" He smiled softly as he opened the front door for me, but I stood my ground. "So you _have_ been talking to Elli lately."

"I never said I hadn't," he explained as a chuckle escaped him. "I just told you I didn't know if she lived in this neighborhood or not."

I muttered a curse under my breath, but he either didn't hear me or chose to ignore the comment. Not that I cared. Still, walking into the main part of his home, I let the issue go and began taking in what little I could. After all, I couldn't help but be curious about the life my old friend had chosen to lead.

Like my loft, he kept his place rather bare with books on medicine and business as his only decoration, but while my place was more or less one room with a bedroom tucked off to the side, his was like a small maze with rooms branching off to either side of the narrow hallway. On our way to the kitchen, we passed only a living room and what appeared to be both a bedroom and a study. If the mattress on the floor was any indication, though, it was only the former of the two for practical reasons alone.

The kitchen was an almost startling white and the fluorescent light that hung low overhead only made the room all the more flat and surreal. Trent reached up into a cupboard, and after the clinking of glasses and the melody of poured wine, he was sitting across from me and waiting expectantly for me to take my first sip.

"So what do you think?"

"Tastes pretty damn good," I admitted with an affirming nod. "Damn good... but for that kind of money, it really should be fucking awesome if you ask me."

"You really are a hard woman to please," he chuckled half-heartedly as he swirled his drink in his glass. I just laughed.

"As if you didn't know that already."

"Fair enough," he agreed. We sat there in silence, lost in our own thoughts, but it didn't last for very long. Not that I minded since my mind was just about the last place I wanted to be those days. "So you haven't have much luck with that man, hmm?"

"You mean Vaughn?" I asked coldly. I flipped open my old cigarette case, choosing to ignore the look I got for it, and continued on. "Well, I just found out he used to have an old lady," I offered as I light up. Trent raised an eyebrow and studied me for a moment, but I decided it was best just to see it through. "He has a daughter, too."

"Does that bother you?"

To be honest, I didn't really know. It came as a shock at first, I guess, but then... I just told myself it didn't really matter. So what if he was married before? He sure as hell wasn't now, so what was the problem?

"Not really," I replied, taking a long drag from my cigarette. "I don't think she'll give me too much trouble."

"That doesn't mean you still don't feel threatened by her," my friend argued. His gaze was steady, but what I didn't like was the look of understanding that was there. "Maybe she's still on his mind... or maybe some part of him is still in love with her. It's normal for a person to ask these things when they're in your position."

"Trent, this isn't some psychological experiment," I reminded him sorely. "I don't give a rat's ass about her or even that kid." After all, Vaughn didn't really seem to care, so why should I? That might be something my sister would think of to bitch and moan about, but not me. Unlike her, I had more than enough backbone to deal with that kind of thing.

"Well, then I'll tell you what I think," he continued before taking another sip of his wine. "I think that you're lying through your teeth, and I also think that you're afraid of admitting it... whether you realize it for yourself or not."

"And thank you, Dr. Trent."

"I'm serious, Grace," he deadpanned. As if I had any doubts of that. "Do you really think that after knowing you for all these years that I could be wrong?" I frowned, trying my best to fight back the urge to take a swing at him or maybe even dump his thousand dollar wine on the tile floor right in front of him. Instead, I decided it was time for me to leave.

"Sorry, but I really have to get going." I didn't even give the man a chance to argue before I headed out the door, but no sooner had I got in my car than my phone began to ring. "What is it, Elli?" I sighed, running my fingers through my brittle hair as I leaned on the steering wheel. "It's kind of late to be calling me, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry for calling you like this, Ms. Hart," she apologized, her voice seemingly far away and lost. "However, there seems to be a problem at the office."

"At this time of night?" What the hell could go wrong with no one there? "And why are you the one calling me about this?" Maybe I was just naïve when it came to these things, but I would've figured they'd contact me first. At the very least, I'd have to think they'd have someone from higher up get in touch with me...

"I just got a call from Vaughn," she explained, pausing as if to build up the tension. "He said that we were missing a few figures from today."

"So he wants to tell me this _now?"_

"He tried to call you earlier, but your phone went right to voicemail." It would figure he'd try to get a hold of me while I was still at the club... not to mention he wouldn't have the patience just to leave a message like a normal person.

"Alright... if he calls back, I'll be right there." Before she could even say her good-byes, I clicked off my phone and tossed it into the back seat, and with a squeal of my tires, I pulled out of the drive and into the night.

To put it nicely, I was pissed. Ten o'clock at night and there I was, roaring down the boulevards to fix someone else's damn mistake. Those shit heads really were worthless.

Vaughn was propped up against the door of his truck with only the flame of his lighter and his hair helping him stand out from its sleek, black finish, but when I came to join him, his violet eyes snapped down to meet my gaze. He was the one to speak first, and by the chill in his voice, I knew he wasn't any happier to be there than I was.

"Mind telling me why the hell I need to be here for this?" he asked. I didn't reply right away, busying myself if trying to get my damn lighter to work, but soon enough he offered me his own. However, it was only after I had a good puff that I answered him.

"Elli told me you were trying to get a hold of me," I explained. He blinked, and for an instant, I thought he looked a bit surprised. Of course, that only lasted for a brief second, and when his face returned to its usual bland expression, I had to wonder if it had ever been there in the first place. Still, I couldn't help but ask the obvious. "You didn't call her, did you?"

"Are you telling me this was a set-up?"

"Looks like it."

The man muttered something or other about a dumb ass broad under his breath and snatched the cigarette out of his mouth before tossing it on the ground and grinding it under the heel of his boot. I knew he was annoyed, but it was all I could do not to laugh to see him acting out. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't exactly keep a straight face even if I wanted to.

"Just what the hell's so damn funny?" he growled as he glared down at me. I just glared right back. "I don't have time to waste standing here."

"Hey, jack ass, I didn't want to come here, either," I reminded him. "So don't go blaming me for this shit."

Vaughn stayed quiet, but his gaze never wavered from my own. I held it, not wanting to let him get the better of me, but to my surprise and maybe even his own, his broke away first. He tugged at the sleeve of his black turtleneck as his breath came out in slow moving curls, but he still said nothing as he continued to stare off into the night. To be honest, it was the only time I had ever seen the man in anything but a suit and tie, and although I would never tell him myself, I still had to admit I thought he looked rather handsome. Even as annoyed as he was.

I shook my head, reminding myself that I was a grown ass woman, and sighed. "I really am sorry you had to come out here... I don't know what the hell Elli was thinking, but-"

"Are you free at all next week?" At first I could only stare, but it was a lot better than what came out of my mouth.

"You sure your wife won't mind?" The question had come before I knew I had even thought it, but Vaughn didn't so much as flinch. However, I could still feel his gaze fall on me once again, and this time, I was the one to look away. "I guess not... with her being your ex and all, huh?"

He nodded, but said nothing. At least not at first. He only stood there for a moment as if he was trying to decide on what to say, but then he seemed to think better of it. "I don't really care what she thinks," he assured me. "She has her life. I have mine."

"And that little girl of yours?" I asked. I tried to sound confident as if the question was one I hadn't been asking myself over and over since I had found out he used to be a family man, but even I could tell that I had failed miserably. It was just like Trent said. It _did_ bother me. In fact...

It bothered the hell of me.

The thought of him having a life I never knew about, one I couldn't imagine him ever having... I couldn't explain why it mattered to me so damn much, but it did. I had always assumed he was like me, the kind of person that never had to deal with the idea of marriage and raising a family, but then again... it hadn't exactly worked out for him, had it?

"I don't want to talk about that," he said at last, his voice as calm as ever. With that, the conversation ended, and he started for the other side of his truck. He disappeared for a moment, but just when he opened the door, lighting up the cab so I could see him, I found my voice once again.

"I'm free Friday night... if you want to go somewhere, that is."

As soon as I said it, I cursed myself for sounding so desperate, but just when I was ready to tell him to forget it, I saw him nod. Without another word or even a good-bye, he shut the door, plunging him back into the darkness, and started the engine. Not even a minute later, he was gone, and I was left standing dumb on the pavement. I just couldn't believe it...

I had a date with Vaughn Williams.


	41. Chapter Forty One

**Chapter Forty-One**

Sun, surf, sand, and skin... Who could ask for more when it came to paradise?

I sighed happily as I settled into my lounge chair with caipirinha in hand. After seeing how sullen I'd been in Hawaii, Popuri had been kind enough to chose a nice cottage for us with a private stretch of sand. I felt a little guilty at first since she was still the one dropping all the cash on this little adventure of ours, but she'd put an end to any of my doubts when she ran off with that waiter a few hours before.

Not that I minded. After all, she was an independent woman with her own needs, and being the man that I am, I understood that better than most. If I wanted to, I knew I could run off to find a honey of my own for the day. The real question was whether I wanted to.

I frowned, feeling slightly bitter that my good time had come to such an abrupt end with just a passing thought, but before I could dwell on the matter for very much longer, I heard my companion call out to me from the cabana. "Your phone's ringing! Do you want me to get it for you?"

I assured her that I'd be there soon enough, but as I started making my way back up from the beach, the young woman came jogging out to greet me with both my phone in hand and a towel draped over her arm. I could tell she'd just gotten back from her trip into town, but even though her hair was disheveled and her lipstick was now gone, I gave her a kiss all the same.

"You're a real doll, you know that?" I teased as I took the phone from her. She giggled, still holding the towel out for me to take, but I was too busy trying to figure just what could've gone so wrong for Denny to have called me twenty-three times in the past hour and leave at least twelve voice messages. Whatever it was, it clearly couldn't wait. However, if the first words that came through the speaker were any indication, the shit had already hit the fan by the time I managed to call him back.

"And you get pissed at _me_ for forgetting the damn phone! Do you know how long I've been trying to get a hold of you? You could've at least told me where the hell you were going!"

"Nice to hear from you, too," I chuckled, wondering just what could make him so upset. After all, he rarely ever swore even when it was the only thing left for him to do. "What's going on up there? Your woman already giving you problems?"

He paused. "Not... exactly..."

Well, that didn't sound too reassuring.

"Are you going to tell me what happened then?" I asked after another long silence. Popuri gave me a curious look, tilting her head to the side, but I could only shrug my shoulders in reply. "Denny, are you still there?"

"Y-yeah... I'm still here," he agreed, sounding more stressed than ever. I waited patiently for him to continue while finally accepting the towel from my companion, but I didn't bother to tie it around my waist just yet. Not when I could remind her just what she was missing out on by running off with those boy toys of hers. "It's just that I'm getting married next month, and-"

I choked. "You're _what?"_

"Chelsea and I are getting married," he repeated. His voice sounded more confident the second time in saying it, but I could tell he was still uneasy. Not that he shouldn't have been... given the circumstances.

"So... mind telling me exactly _why_ you're getting married all of a sudden?" I tried to sound understanding, but even to my own ears, the question came out more than a little forced... if not slightly condescending. "I thought you were going to take it slow with this one?"

"She was crying, Kai..."

"And you put a ring on her finger just to make her stop?" I sighed, glancing back in Popuri's direction to find she was watching me carefully, but when she caught me staring, she quickly turned away. "That's not doing her any favors, you know."

"But getting her out of debt is." So that's what he was doing? Either my friend was a saint or even more naïve than I would have thought possible, and given the situation, I was leaning towards the later of the two. Helping a girl get out of debt was a nice gesture on his part, I guess, but getting married to do it? That was beyond anything I would've thought he was capable of.

"What's the damn hurry then?" He took a deep breath, and I clearly heard him swallow it on the other end. Not that I blamed him, of course, since he had a lot of explaining to do, but when it came to getting that explanation out of him, I was anything but patient.

I listened to him, and although there were times I wanted to have my say, I kept quiet. Apparently, he was still reeling from what had happened, so every now and then, he'd stop just to catch his breath. I only spoke up after I thought he was finished, but not before he he started up again. "Oh, God... I just don't know what I'm going to do," he moaned, his voice becoming muffled on the other end. "I mean, I... I don't regret it exactly, but..."

"Well, here's what I think," I began with a sigh, rubbing the back of my sore and aching neck. He waited, still trying to catch his breath, but even to my own surprise, I couldn't think of anything to say at first. Finally, I got my thoughts together enough to try and offer some advice. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I... I think so."

"You can't just 'think' that you do," I reminded him sharply. "You have to _know_ that you want to marry this woman... or you're just going to cause even more problems for her."

At first, I only waited for him to try to argue with me, but when he took yet another deep breath, it came out as a long and heavy sigh instead of an argument. "You're right," he agreed. "And... I _do_ want to marry her. I do."

"I know you do," I assured him with a faint smile. "But I just wanted to make sure."

Really, it was funny to think about... Denny getting married. To an older woman, no less. I actually felt like a true older brother when I thought about it right then, trying to picture my friend in a tux. Half the time the poor kid couldn't even tie his own tie, and I'd have to fix it before we went into work. Of course, the thought of him being married also made me realize just how old I was, but I was still happy for him. A part of me just wished he didn't have to grow up so fast.

"So you'll be back in time, right? We're getting married at the court house, but we still need a witness to make it legal."

"The court house?" I asked, frowning as I repeated the words. "You can't be serious." I know they wanted to save money, and with good reason, but I still would've thought they'd want more than just that... "Are you really okay with that?"

"Well...I'm not," he admitted with yet another sigh. "But that's what she wants, so... I guess it'll be enough."

"If you want, I could always help pay for it," I offered. "It won't be that big of a ceremony, but it'd be a lot better if you guys at least get married in a church."

"No, I think we'll be alright," he assured me. "It's not what I really want, but we can always have another ceremony when we can actually afford it. Besides... it's kind of pointless with only the four of us there."

"Four?"

"Well, Alisa needs to be there, too, you know," he reminded me with a chuckle. "I think she's even happier about it than her mother." I didn't say as much, but I couldn't say it really surprised me at all. From what I had seen of her, Chelsea was somewhat cold to my friend. Still... who was I to judge? Even Denny wouldn't just marry her for the sake of getting the woman out of debt, and it had been clear to me from the beginning that he loved her. "Oh, by the way... are you with Popuri?"

I only smiled at first, but when I went to turn towards her, I found the woman was mysteriously gone. I could hear Denny saying my name, but I didn't answer him right away. Even walking through the cabana, she was no where to be found, and I had to wonder just where she could've gotten to so quickly.

"Kai?"

"Well, she _was_ here," I sighed, bringing the phone back to my ear. "I don't know where she is right now, but she'll be back." At least I hoped so since I didn't exactly want to be the one to explain to her older brother that I lost her in a place like this. "What'd you need her for anyway?"

"I was just curious," he explained. "But she's not there?"

"No, she's not." I looked off towards the door, and there, taped just above the knob, was a small note. At first, I was a little relieved, but when I read it over, I frowned. After all, even though she'd had the decency to leave a note in the first place, she hadn't given much thought to what she wrote in it.

_"Kai- Got a call from Cheche. Be back sometime tonight."_ Then, almost as an after thought, she'd added at the bottom in something of a quick scrawl. _"Give my congrats to Denny."_

"Did you two have a fight?" Although I heard the question, it was faint in the back of my mind. I know I shouldn't have have been so bitter about it- not when I'd been guilty of the same in my not so distant past- but I still hoped that man lived up to his name. After all, she could tell her clients size didn't matter, but I knew different. At least when it came to a girl like her. "Kai? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," I agreed with a weak chuckle. "Hey, you're going to move in with her, right?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Are you moving in before or after the wedding?" I asked. He answered the former, and after taking one last look at the empty cottage, I tried my best to smile. "Think you might need some help? I know you guys don't have a car anymore."

"But aren't you still on vacation?" His voice was distant since I'd put him on speaker, but I could still hear his concern even from clear across the room. It didn't really matter, though. After all, I was already busy packing. "You're not just going to leave her there, are you? What abou-"

"She can take care of herself," I assured him, tossing a pair of boxers over my shoulder. It's not like she would miss me any time soon with lover boy showing her the finer points of Brazilian culture. "She's got a date tonight anyway."

"A date? Isn't she supposed to be with you?"

"Guess not." I'd known that from the start, of course, so I couldn't exactly blame her for dismissing me so easily. _Why do I feel so angry then?_ "I'll try and get back tomorrow, but I don't know when I'll be there for sure."

"You really don't have to," he insisted. "You're on vacation."

"Then I'll spend it at home."

"But-"

"Denny, it's fine." I had picked up the phone again, cradling it in the crook of my neck as I began folding up the few clothes I'd brought with me. Save for my bandanna, of course. "I already knew about it this morning, so it's not like I'm leaving here because of her." Neither of us as much, but we both knew that was a lie. I was only grateful he didn't mention it. "Besides, someone needs to make sure you can actually afford this."

"I can handle it." I could tell by the sound of his voice that I had wounded his pride a little with that last comment, but I only smiled. He was still such a kid at heart... even if he was getting married before I was. "I've got enough money to handle it."

"But I'm better with numbers than you are," I reminded him. "And have you even gotten her a ring yet?" My only answer was dead silence. "I thought not," I chuckled, shaking my head and wondering, not for the first time that day, if the boy could handle something like this in the long run. "Leave it to me then."

"Kai, I can't-"

"Just think of it as my wedding present to the happy couple," I assured him, being sure to leave no room for argument. "You can't marry a girl without giving her a ring. Especially when you're not marrying her in a church."

"I guess I really can't," he agreed with a faint laugh of his own. "I really have to thank you, though... You're better at this kind of thing than I am." He clipped out for a moment, and when he came back, he sighed. "My phone's dying... I'll have to call you back."

"It's alright. I should get going anyway." The only real question was where was I going _to..._

My things were already packed in my suitcase, but sitting there on the edge of the bed, I couldn't help but sigh. After all, this whole vacation thing wasn't going exactly like I planned, but the worst of it was how I was being treated like a puppet on a string. I didn't mind Popuri's apparent need for new and exciting distractions- in fact it was the one thing I enjoyed most about her company- but if it was going to be like this, well..,

Just as I was about to leave, I looked at the notepad laying out on the counter, and although I knew it was childish of me, I still had to smile as I stepped out the door.

_"Popuri- Going home. Say hi to Small for me."_

--

**Author's Note:** Quick explanation on the Cheche thing, the name means 'small thing' in Spanish. Pablo means small as well, but... I felt like that was too generic. Coincidently, Vaughn also means small in English. (Which just shows how immature _I_ am since I make it a point to inform people of this just to spite the man.)


	42. Chapter Forty Two

**Chapter Forty-Two**

"So is that all of it then?"

My face warmed as the women raised an eyebrow towards the three lonely boxes, no doubt wondering how we'd managed to fit my entire apartment into a Mustang, but my friend only laughed. "Most boarding houses come fully furnished," I explained. I decided it was easier not to mention how I'd given my bed, the table, and chairs to my former neighbor. After all, it was the least I could do for him... being as he was the one to push me in the right direction. "That's okay, though, right?"

"I don't see why not," she agreed with a smile. "I'm sure we have enough here to take care of you." I could tell she was only teasing me, but I couldn't seem to laugh or even crack a smile at the joke. "Do you want to stay for dinner, Kai? We have some pot roast ready if you're hungry."

"Nah, I'm good," he assured her with a grin of his own. "Besides, I don't think you'll need any more help tonight."

As soon as he said it, I knew there was more to what he was saying than he let on, but he didn't give me a chance to question him about it. Instead he only gave a wave before bounding off for his car. He seemed to be eager about something, but what it was... I didn't really know. I still had a feeling I should've, though...

"He really is something else, isn't he?" Chelsea laughed and shook her head in amusement to see him go. I tried to laugh as well, but although I couldn't explain why, there was a tight knot in my chest when I did so. She shivered then, but it wasn't for the same reason. "We'd better get inside before our dinner gets cold."

I nodded, my mouth suddenly feeling too dry to speak, but just when we stepped into the kitchen, we found Alisa was already waiting for us at the table. I smiled to see her, and she smiled back. "Well, you must be hungry," I teased. She only giggled. "Is it okay if I sit next to you?"

"Uh-huh."

Chelsea continued to smile as she filled the girl's plate, but her daughter seemed to be waiting for something yet. It was only after I reached across the table for a bowl of steamed carrots that she spoke, but even then, she was rather cryptic for a child.

"Do you like carrots, Mr. Denny?" I looked towards her mother for a possible explanation, but she only sat down across from me and stared down at her plate, her smile suddenly gone. Realizing that I was on my own, I decided the only thing I could really do was be honest. After all, I had no reason not to be.

"I like 'em every now and then," I agreed. "Do you like them, Alisa?"

She only shrugged before dipping her spoon into her mashed potatoes, causing the gravy to spill out onto her plate. She wasn't quiet for long, though. "Dad doesn't like carrots."

"Honey, let's not talk about your dad, okay?" Chelsea's voice was gentle as she said it, but her words were still firm, leaving no room for possible argument. The little girl was quiet again, and I felt like I was holding my breath as we continued to eat in total silence. It was then that I reminded myself that even with me being there, this was still a broken home, and Vaughn was very much a part of the family whether he was living there or not.

The thought weighed heavily on my mind as the night wore on, but I did my best to assure them both that I wasn't bothered by the situation. After all, I didn't want them to know I had any connection to the man... at least not yet. Even if he was only a coworker of mine, I didn't want them to have to think about him or anything that happened before or during the divorce. It was time to move on and leave it behind us for good.

The real question was whether that was even possible.

"Denny, can you help Alisa get ready for bed?" When I nodded, the woman only smiled, but I could clearly see the relief wash over her to have me agree. "I think I'll be going to bed, too, but you don't have to if you're not tired yet."

"It'll be alright," I assured her. "I probably should with work and all tomorrow." Chelsea smiled softly then before turning her attention back to loading the dishwasher, and I slipped out into the hall. I followed the voice of her daughter talking quietly to herself, and when I found her, she was sitting on the floor of her mother's room. Just as was about to step in, though, I happened to overhear just what she was saying.

"What are you doing?" By the high pitch of her voice, I assumed it was the green-haired fairy she was speaking through, but I almost laughed when when I heard her deepen her tone for the red-hair one in her other hand. Of course, that was before I realized just what she'd said.

"I'm going."

"You're always going." Even though she was young, I could clearly hear her mother's voice within her own, and even without having been there at the time when it happened, I still knew the exact moment that had inspired her. "Always. Is it because of her?"

"No." Alisa put down the first doll down on the floor as she reached back just under her mother's bed. This doll was smaller than the other two, but only slightly. For whatever reason, though, it reminded me of the little girl who was sitting there in front of me. Before she could say her own part, though, she looked up. "Do you want to play, Mr. Denny?"

I only smiled. "Maybe tomorrow," I agreed, crouching down next to her. "But right now we've got to get you to bed." I expected her to argue, like most children her age, but she simply nodded. The first two dolls were held tightly in her little fists, but she left the third behind. I went to pick it up myself, and turning it over in my hands, I couldn't help but notice how well cared for it was.

There wasn't a single blonde hair out of place, and the black ruffles on her teal dress were laid out just so. The only sign that the doll had even been played with were the arms as they were a little loose, but even that was a minor fault compared to the toys I used to play with.

"That's Lanna," Alisa explained, suddenly appearing in front of me. "Dad gave it to me for my birthday."

"You take good care of her." She beamed to hear me say so, but when I gave the doll back to her, she became solemn once again, holding the small object almost reverently in her tiny hands. Her dark blue eyes seemed to fade then as if she was in another time, and soon enough, she began to cry.

I didn't even hesitate before picking her up off the floor, but what surprised me was how she wrapped her arms around my neck when I did so. She was still crying even after I got her dressed and tucked into bed, and so I stayed, sitting beside her and holding her hand. I don't know how long I sat at the edge of her bed, but by the time she had finally fallen asleep, I almost felt like crying myself.

As I closed her bedroom door behind gently behind me, I could Chelsea readying herself for bed across the hall. The red bandanna she'd been wearing for most of the day was laid out on the end table, but she had apparently decided to wait for me before going any further. At least that's what I guessed from the smile she was wearing when I came in.

However, it was only when she continued to undress herself that I finally realized her full intentions.

Slipping out of her blue-jean dress, it was clear to me that she'd put a lot of thought into how the night would turn out for the both of us. She was wearing a purple matching set in satin, and without giving it any thought, my hand instinctively smoothed back my own bandanna, trying to ignore the fact that my face was uncomfortable warm and my head was spinning. "Is something wrong?"

She sounded disappointed, and although I wanted to assure her that I was alright, I knew I was anything but. After all, even while I knew we'd be living together- not to mention married in the next couple of weeks- I hadn't actually given 'it' any thought.

Not like this anyway.

"I-I'll be right back." Before she could convince me otherwise, I slipped out back into the hall and shut the door behind me. Even that wasn't enough, though, and I soon found myself sitting out on the couch and staring at the black TV screen in front of me instead. I needed to think... but every time I tried to, all I could see was her.

This had happened before, of course, and even back then, I knew I was just overreacting about the whole thing. It wasn't that big of a deal. After all, I'd seen her in a bikini before, and what she was wearing now wasn't all that much different other than the color and the material. Actually, what she had on in her room had more fabric that swimsuit of hers. Of course, I hadn't been able to look at her then, either... Not that she was a bad looking woman by any means, but-

"Mr. Denny? Did you and Mama have a fight?"

Even in the darkness of the living room, I could see the small, young face that was mere inches away from my own, and although it was bittersweet at best, I still tried to smile for the girl. "We're not fighting," I assured. "Your mama's just changing right now."

"Oh." She was quiet for a moment, still gazing up at me in the dark, but then she seemed to have another thought. "Why can't you see Mama changing, Mr. Denny? Don't grown-ups do that?"

"Who did you hear that from?" I asked, more than a little unsure of where this was all going. After all, I wouldn't have been all that surprised if Vaughn had decided to give the whole sex talk as one last 'fuck you' to his ex-wife and anyone that might take his place in her and his daughter's life, but she only shrugged.

"Are you sleeping in Mama's bed?" she asked. I chuckled, trying my best to hide the fact that my nerves were fried once again, but then pulling her into my lap, I sighed. She was still a kid, but even though I knew that, I also knew that she was much more grown up when it came to these things than I was. At least when it came to her mother and what was best for her. "Mama doesn't like sleeping alone. She told me so."

"Is that right?"

"Uh-huh, but Dad said he didn't like sleeping with her no more." She paused then before looking up at me once again. "Dad said likes sleeping on the couch better. Do you like the couch, Mr. Denny?"

As soon as she said it, the guilt sank like a rock in the bottom of my gut. I sighed. Just how pathetic could I get? Guilted into sleeping with a woman because of her daughter had to be the most twisted thing any man could ever do, but even though I knew that all too well, the little girl's words were enough to convince me to go back to her mother.

If only to apologize for being such so damn insensitive.

Chelsea was in her bed and buried under the covers, her back facing the door, but I knew she wasn't asleep just yet. After all, it hadn't taken all that much time for me to get Alisa back to her room. It was only when I dropped my pants to the floor that she rolled over, and when she did, my face warmed to realize she was staring at me.

"You came back." She laughed then, but it was a hollow sound. "I thought you would've left by now."

"I wasn't trying to runaway," I assured her. "At least I didn't mean to... I... ah..." Before I could even finish, she was standing there in front of me, and it was then that I realized the woman had decided not to wait for me to undress her the rest of the way. She reached around me then, her body flushed against my own, and locked the door with a key.

Which meant it must have locked from the outside.

"Um... I know this isn't the best time to ask, but-" She cut me off with a kiss. She almost missed, and being unsatisfied with her first attempt, she didn't hesitate to try again. This time, though, I held her back. "I'm sorry... but it's been a while..."

"Anyone ever tell you you talk too much?" she sighed, resting her head on my chest. At first I thought she might be angry, not that I could really blame her since I'd denied her not once but twice in the same evening, but then I heard her laugh softly to herself. "Tell me," she began with another sigh. "How long is a while?"

"Eight years, I think..."

"You can't be serious." I stayed quiet, trying to come up with an excuse, but she only laughed before going to kiss me again. "I guess that means I'm going to have to re-teach you a few things then... First rule, when a woman says 'yes,' she means yes." She seemed to smile then as she pulled me along with her towards the bed, but the lesson was anything but over. It was just beginning.


	43. Chapter Forty Three

**Chapter Forty-Three**

"Good morning, Mr. Smith. You're here rather early." The young nurse smiled pleasantly to see me, but I could see the fear in her eyes just behind her thick black frames. Not to mention the fact that her hands were clasped in front of her in a weak attempt to keep herself from shaking. I didn't know what made me so damn frightening, but whatever it was, the poor girl looked like she was about to faint just at the sight of me. "I'm not sure if she'll be awake at this time, but you're more than welcome to see her if you wish."

"Thanks."

I rounded the corner and made my way further down the long, white halls and only then could I breathe a sigh of relief. I was damn sure I'd be caught, but it seemed like I was going to get off rather easy this time. As long as that other woman wasn't the one behind the desk anyway... It was a good thing, too, because I had no idea how I would've managed to explain myself if I was found out.

My hand instinctively dipped into my pocket, and I smiled as my fingers slid over what felt just like silk. However, the smile vanished when I went to step inside the little woman's room.

She was sitting at the edge of the bed, her face buried in her hands, but before I could even ask what was wrong, I realized there was something different about her. It was only after I looked down at her feet that I figured out just what that something was, though.

Long, blonde wisps of hair covered the floor, and resting on her lap were a pair of kitchen scissors, but when she looked up and saw me in the open doorway, she tried to hide them behind her out of shame. I couldn't tell whether it was because she had been crying or she was embarrassed or maybe even a little of both, but no matter what caused it, her face was still a bright and an angry shade of red.

I had no idea why the hell she went and did it, but whatever her reasons were, it was clear she wasn't really thinking about what she was doing to herself. At least not when she did it. She'd cut it at various lengths, and although she'd managed to keep herself from hacking it too short and beyond repair, each of the cuts she made were straight across.

"What the hell happened?"

Claire only shook her head at first, but when I crouched down next to her to look her in the eye, she reluctantly returned my gaze. "My bruises are still there," she explained, her voice shaking ever so slightly. "I just... I thought if I cut my hair... that it might look better, but..." She got quiet again, bowing her head in shame. I just sighed. "I'm sorry, Gray. I-"

"Give me those," I ordered, nodding towards the scissors still in her hand. She hesitated, but soon enough she did as I asked. We sat in silence as I went to work, and although I heard her sniffle a few times, she kept her head up without having me to tell her to. The nurse from the front desk walked by at least once, but if she noticed what was happening, she had apparently thought it was better not to say anything.

Probably because I just so happened to be armed and frustrated as hell.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there with only the sound of the scissors between us. All I knew was I felt numb. Not just to her, but myself as well. Like the accident a week earlier, it just didn't seem real to me.

Claire had her problems. I knew that. But even before the accident, I'd told myself that she was the stronger one in our relationship. Hell... ever since I met her, she was the one helping others. Most notably _me, o_f all people. About the only thing I had done for her was get her away from that womanizing bastard, and while I didn't regret it for a second, I knew I had done it for my own selfish reasons. I wanted her, and I was given a chance to have her.

That was all there was to it.

Now, though... seeing her fall this far? I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

"I think that's as good as it's gonna get," I muttered, tucking the scissors into my front pocket. She only nodded, but she gasped when I went to pick her up and carry her off towards the bathroom. However, it was only after she managed to put the words 'my ribs' and 'hurt' together that I was willing to put the struggling woman back on the floor, but even then, I was still determined to put her back in front of that mirror.

"Gray, please... I don't want to look." Well, that was obvious. The tiny woman all but had me pinned against the closed door with my back jammed into the damn knob. "I'm sure it looks just fine. Really."

"I want you to look." She shook her head again, but I wasn't about to let her get the better of me. Not this time. I spun her back around, and since I couldn't pick her up the usual way, I grabbed her around the waist and plopped her down in front of the mirror. That still didn't mean I could get her to look, though. At least not without forcing her eyes open myself which was a little too far even with me being so frustrated with the whole damn thing. "Just tell me if I cut it right," I sighed, trying my best to be patient with the woman. "That's all I want to know."

It was a lie, of course... or at the very least it was only a half-truth. Even so, it worked, and that was really all that mattered to me. Claire only opened one eye at first as if whatever she might see would throw her over the edge once again, but when she saw what I had done, she gasped before breaking out in a smile.

"It's... Oh, Gray, it's wonderful!" My face warmed, but she didn't even notice. She was too busy running her fingers through her short hair. It had once reached clear down to her waist, but I had to admit that it looked rather nice. Especially the way it brushed against her neck... "I didn't know you could do something like this."

"You'll still have to get it cleaned up somewhere, but is it okay for now?" She nodded, still beaming, but her smile disappeared just as she brushed aside her new bangs. I had swept them over the right side of her face in the hopes that she might forget the yellowing bruise that had stubbornly remained there for the past week, but apparently it didn't work as well as I thought it would. "Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Claire, it's not that bad." She flinched, making me feel as if I'd slapped the woman, and I tried to calm myself back down again. "Alright. It's still bad," I admitted with a frustrated sigh. "But you've just got to let the damn thing heal."

"What if it doesn't, though?" she sighed as she let her bangs fall back. "And I just know I'm going to have a scar from those stitches..." I fought back the urge to roll my eyes, but while she continued to ramble on, I took a firm hold of her chin and make her look at me straight on. She blinked at first, unsure of what to expect, but before she could try and say anything else, I kissed her.

"You think I really care about that shit?" I asked. "You look fine. Hell, you look better than fine, and god dammit, you always have. So quit thinking about it."

She was frozen for a moment, still staring up at me like a deer caught in headlights, but then she started giggling. At that moment, she rested her hand on my check before giving me another curious look and tilting her head to the side.

"You forgot to shave again, didn't you?" I only chuckled, but as always, once she started fretting, she just couldn't stop herself. "Have you been eating at home? I know you don't really like it, but there should still be some tofu in the fridge if you're hungry. Oh, and-" She paused. "Wait... what time is it?"

I looked at my watch. "Eight-thirty."

She gave a little gasp, but before I could assure her it'd be alright, she was pushing me out the bathroom door. "You're going to be late if you don't get going!"

"Claire, it's-" She wouldn't hear any of it, though, and she continued to push me right out into the hall. Just when I was about to try again, she shut the door behind her and ran off to her bed to clean up after her earlier... episode, I guess. At first I only stood there, debating whether or not I should go back in, but in the end, I could only shake my head. "Crazy woman..."

After leaving the pair of scissors at the front desk with a firm warning to the nurse on duty to remember just where the hell she was, I made my way to the office. My new truck handled the drive well enough, but I still felt bitter about the fact that I had to total my old Ford for a god damn Chevy.

Not to mention it had been my first truck.

I punched in just a minute before nine, but even though I was cutting it close, I still had to smirk at the thought. After all, if nothing else, ever since Claire had come to live with me, I hadn't been late for a single day for work. Even laid up as she was, she was apparently determined to keep it that way, too.

The only problem was I had a feeling I'd forgotten about something...

After thinking on it for a minute, I shrugged it off before slipping into the break room for some coffee and a quick smoke, but when I got there, I got a bad taste in my mouth. Denny was there for his morning coffee, of course, but it was the bastard standing next to him that caught my attention. "Hey, Kai, I thought you were on vacation."

"I was," he agreed, flashing me a wide grin. His teeth were even whiter when put against his even darker tan, but it disappeared rather quickly when he went to look around me. "Where's Claire?"

"Still at the hospital," I muttered, pushing past him to get to the coffee-maker between him and his friend. "They can't let her go just yet... damned if I know why, though." Sure, it wouldn't hurt for her to put on a little more weight, but getting her to gain three pounds just didn't seemed like it was worth the money we were spending to keep her there. Then again, what the hell did I know?

"Wait, since when did she have to go to the hospital?"

I glared at the man, asking myself just how much of a dumb ass he really was, but by the shocked look on his face, he was serious. "Didn't he tell you?" I asked, jabbing my thumb in his friend's direction. The two of us just stared at him, but he was still quick to cave under the pressure of two pairs of eyes bringing him down.

"Come on, it's not like I can keep track of everything that goes on around here, you know..." he muttered. "I've got enough to deal with myself."

Kai only sighed. "You still could've told me about it... Now I feel like an ass." I thought to remind him that he was just that, but I decided against it. He wasn't my problem right now, and I sure as hell didn't feel like making him one. "What happened... if you don't mind me asking?"

"Drunk driving accident," I replied stiffly. He frowned at first, but I was quick to catch him before his mind wandered too far. "It wasn't me." It was a half-lie at best, but he didn't need to know that. Just like I thought he was no better than a womanizing bastard, I already knew he thought of me as nothing but a lousy drunk. "The jack ass that hit us decided to cut me off at a red light."

I didn't have a chance to explain myself any further before Denny sneezed. We both jumped, but soon enough the man started fretting over him as if he was his damn mother. "Hey, are you feeling alright, Denny? Your eyes are watering."

"I don't know why, though..." he complained, reaching in his back pocket for a purple rag. "I was fine earlier..."

"Don't you have allergies?" I rolled my eyes, lighting a cigarette and asking myself if it was even possible for someone to be more doting than Claire, but what I heard next make me choke on my own smoke.

"Yeah, cats... but I don't know how one could get here of all places..."

As soon as he said it, I dug into my pocket and pulled out a ball of soft, grey fluff. It looked like a wad of lint at first until it opened its eyes and yawned. "God dammit..." I muttered, holding it out in front of me. "You've got to be fucking kidding."

I had forgotten about the damn cat.

"Looks like you've got a friend with you." I shot a glare in Kai's direction, but before I had no chance to tell him off, the kitten started to squirm. "Don't hold him like that," he scolded me with a soft chuckle. "You'll break its neck if you do that."

"He's fine," I snapped back. After all, it wasn't something the thing's own mother hadn't done, but I still brought the small animal closer to me all the same. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" I could go back home and leave him there, of course, but I wasn't too eager to skip out on an hour's pay because of a damn cat of all things. "This is just what I get for trying to be the nice guy."

"Come on, it's not so bad," Kai assured me. "Just keep him here until you head home. I'm sure Grace won't mind."

"Right. As if that bitch would give a damn." He frowned then, but whatever was on his mind never got out if only because he was so fixated on the kitten nestled in my arms. "Have you guys named him yet?"

"For Christ's sake, Kai, it's not a damn baby." He only laughed, but my face warmed all the same. "Besides, Claire doesn't even know about him yet." To be honest, I only got the little bastard for her because I knew there was no way in hell I could giver her her other gift. Not when she was trying to cut her hair because she thought there was something wrong with the way she looked anyway.

"She'll be alright," the man insisted, picking himself off the counter. "She can take pretty good care of herself on her own."

As much as I doubted that, and for a very good reason, I didn't say as much. I watched him go, his friend trailing along behind him sneezing and muttering to himself, and only then did I turn my attention back to the ball of fluff I was being forced to babysit. "So... what the hell am I supposed to do with you now?"

It only stared up at me with its big, blue eyes and opened its little mouth, but no sound came out. No wonder I'd forgotten he was there... the damn thing couldn't even make a squeak, let alone a meow like a normal cat. Figures.

I sighed. I could put him in my truck, but I wasn't so keen on the idea. After all, even without leather seats or any of that kind of thing, I didn't need him using my shit as a scratching post until I got out of work. The only option I really had was try to keep him in my office, but whether he would actually stay put or not was the real question.

As soon as I put him on the floor, the damn thing rolled on its back and opened its mouth again. I only muttered under my breath at first, wondering just how I got myself into these things, but I still rubbed his stomach to satisfy the little beast. Even though he couldn't meow, he managed to purr well enough, and as pissed off as I was about having to deal with him, I still had to smile to hear the familiar sound. "Alright, you, I've got to get to work, so just stay out of trouble. Got it?"

He rolled back over, still gazing up at me with his wide blue eyes, but when I brought my attention to the computer screen in front of me, he went to jump up on the desk. Problem was that he was too small to manage it just yet and slid back onto the floor. I chose to ignore him, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw him trot over to the other side of my chair.

I watched as he stared up at one of my drawers that was left slightly ajar. He readied himself for the jump, and although he only got his front up there at first, he managed to pull up his back end along with it after a little bit of trouble. From there, he reached up for the next opening, and at last he crawled all the way to the top and perched himself next to the monitor.

"Not bad," I said with a smirk, scratching him behind his neck. He purred, leaning into my hand, but when I went back to my spreadsheet, he only sat there and stared. He soon realized that I wasn't going to pay any more attention to him, though, and after a moment, he made his way over to my coffee mug and started drinking out of it. I let him, but it was only because I decided it wasn't worth getting up to get him some water.

By the time lunch rolled around, though, I realized just what a dumb ass idea that was.

After nearly hanging himself with the cords for the blinds, he had scampered off into the hall, and soon enough Denny was in my office, holding him out in front of him with one hand and furiously wiping his eyes with the other. When he finally passed out by the door, I was afraid the damn thing had a heart attack and died on me. Even then, it was only after I was headed out to get something to eat that he came back to life, clawing up my leg while trying to get into my pocket.

I had to hand it to him, though, he sure knew how to get whatever the hell he damn well pleased.

I didn't really know if it was such a good idea to bring him along with me to Shirley's, but as soon as she saw him, Muffy was in love with the fluff ball. So much so that she had Chase bring out some chicken from the back, but by the time he got there, the little scamp was already sampling some of Vaughn's lunch from the man's spoon.

For the last few hours of my usual work day, I was still stuck with him, and although I was doing whatever I could to ignore him, he wasn't having any of it. If he wasn't climbing up the back of my chair, he was playing with my damn bootlaces, but I could never catch him in the act. When I tried to, he would stop whatever the hell it was he was doing and look away all innocent like, and even after threatening him with a glare and a few sharp words, he'd come right back for more.

It really wasn't that much of a surprise that I ended up leaving work ever later than I'd planned because of him and his bull shit, but the real shock came when I showed up at the hospital. And I had a feeling the night nurse was more than happy to be the one to give it to me.

"I'm sorry, sir, but she was released this early this afternoon. A William Muller signed the paperwork and took her home." Then she smiled. "I suppose you weren't notified of this?"

"Did they say where they were going?"

"He only said that he was taking her home," she replied, a little too sweetly. "And now that she has been released, you no longer have any business here. I'm sorry, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

The drive home was short, but I had to admit I was on edge for most of it. The kitten sat next to me, but whenever I glanced in his direction, he would look away. As soon as I got my eyes back on the road, though, I could feel his eyes watching me from the passenger's seat. So even as dumb as it was, I found myself talking to the damn thing.

"You think he knows enough not to leave her home alone?" I asked doubtfully. He only tilted his head to the side, and I couldn't decide whether that was a yes or a no. "I know he's her brother and all, but..." I had thought Kai would have known better, too.

Not to mention myself.

That wasn't the only thing bugging me, though. Even if the thought of Claire being left on her own wasn't enough of a problem by itself, I still had a feeling I might have to get to know her older brother sooner than I'd planned. Not that I'd ever planned on meeting him in the first place... After all, I hadn't known about him or the other one until a few weeks ago, and with what she had told me, I figured he was a high class kind of guy.

Something I wasn't.

Pulling into the drive, that thought stayed with me, and the tight knot I had in my chest only got worse when I saw the white Benz parked on the side of the road in front of the house. When I walked through the door, though, the only person I saw was Claire.

"Where's your brother?" I asked, looking around the room to see if there was any chance I could've missed the man. She only nodded towards our room.

"I told him he could use the bed tonight if he wished," she explained with a smile before tucking her newly cut bangs behind her ear. "I hope you don't mind sharing the couch..."

"Why didn't you call to tell me he was taking you home?"

"He didn't tell me he was coming," she sighed with a faint smile while shaking her head. "The doctor said that I could leave as soon as I had someone to come get me, but I really didn't expect for him to be there." She laughed then. "When he came to pick me up, he insisted we go around town together, so I'm afraid I didn't really have a chance to call you at work."

"Is he staying here long?" Not that I really cared, but something told me that even though we could share a bed easily enough, Claire and I wouldn't get much sleep out on the couch... for some reasons more obvious than others.

"No..." she sighed again. "He'll probably be on his way back early tomorrow morning. He had to reschedule some things just to get here, and I hate to have him wait for me when I'm at work if he has appointments to keep."

"Wait, who said you were going back to work?" She only blinked. "Don't you think you should stay home for a while?"

"I can't do that," Claire insisted as she shook her head once more. "You've been coming home late every night this week because I'm not there to do my share of the work." Then she smiled and lifted up her right hand, the one with her wrist still in a cast. "Besides, just because I have a fracture, it doesn't mean I can't type."

I was about to try and argue with her on that when I realized Cu had perched on the toe of my boot and was looking up at me expectantly. He meowed as he tried to climb up my pant leg, but it took me a minute to understand. This time, though, I felt the kitten tossing itself around in my pocket and pulled him out for her to see.

She gasped as she shot up from the couch, but when she went to hold him, the damn thing started squirming and reaching out for me instead. "Seems like someone already likes you best," she giggled, her fingers brushing over his fur. "Does he have a name yet?"

"That's up to you... He's your present."

"But he seems to think he's yours," she laughed while handing him back to me. The little fur ball nuzzled into my chest, his tiny claws needling into my arms, and I felt my face warm. "I know you got him for me, but... I really think you should name him." Then she smiled. "He's your baby, after all."

"Don't say that..." I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. I looked down at him then, but he only stared right back. "Fine. His name is Pip. Happy now?"

"Pip?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side. "Is it short for Pipsqueak then?"

"No... not exactly." Claire continued to wait for more of an explanation, but I wasn't in the mood for that kind of thing. I was tired, and even though I wasn't looking forward to spending the damn night there, the couch was the only place I wanted to be. Besides, it wasn't like I ever asked her why she named hers after a vegetable.

"You look exhausted," she murmured, reaching out to touch my cheek. "Are you hungry? I can make something for you if you'd like..." I sighed, shaking my head before resting it on her shoulder, and although she stiffened at first, I soon felt her body relax. "Gray?"

"Please... let's... just go to bed."


	44. Chapter Forty Four

**Chapter Forty-Four**

"Are you sure you'll be alright driving yourself over there this early? I mean... I know you said you had enough sleep, but-"

"Claire, I promise you I will be just fine," the man assured me with a soft chuckle, resting his hand on my head. "Besides... I'd hate to wake him over something like this." I tried not to laugh as I followed my brother's gaze, but try as I might, I still couldn't keep myself from smiling as well. "He looks rather comfortable, wouldn't you say?"

Gray was sound asleep yet, his leg dangling over the side of the couch while his arm was draped over its back. What made the scene so amusing wasn't just him, though. With Cu curled up between his legs and Pip resting on his chest, they made quite the perfect picture, and it was one of the few times I wished I owned a camera just to capture the moment.

"Will... I know you must be worried about me," I began, quietly at first. "But I'm alright now. Really."

He stood there for a moment, his blue eyes now studying me, but just when I thought he doubted what I had said, he smiled. "I know you are," he agreed. "However, I will be back to make sure of that, so be sure to tell him I'd like to speak with him as soon as possible."

The man opened his arms to me, but then he seemed to think better of it and gave me a kiss instead. "I need to be sure he doesn't bring any harm to my darling little sister, after all."

I nodded dumbly, being too shocked to even speak, but I still managed to smile to see him off. He always had been a charmer even if only his family ever seemed to be subject to it. It was one of the many reasons I hated to see him go so soon, but I reminded myself that now was not the time to be thinking about such things.

It was only five o'clock, but once I was sure he was safely on his way, I figured I could get some laundry done before I had to hop in the shower. The real question was how to go about it. After all, with me being gone for a week, Gray's clothes had been scattered through the house, and I was the one left to pick them up again. Not that I minded. It was better than simply waiting for him to wake up in any case.

My mind hummed happily with thoughts of my brothers while I went about my morning chores, but I had to admit it had been a little taken aback by how familiar William had been with me even the afternoon before. Throughout the day, he would either hold my hand or touch my shoulder or my hair, and it was only after I brought it to his attention that he stopped. Before I could think any further on it, though, I heard Gray fall into one of his coughing fits in the other room, and I hurried in to check on him.

However, once again, it was all I could do not to laugh to see the man.

Pip was being held out from at arm's length with one hand while Gray clutched at his own throat with the other, but it was only after he gasped out a god dammit that he was able to tell me what had happened. "Little shit tried to strangle me..."

"Come on now, Gray. I'm sure he-"

"It wrapped itself around my damn neck!" he snapped back. As soon as he realized just how loud his voice had been, his face turned a light shade of red, but he didn't apologize. Instead, he brought the small kitten right up in his face and muttered, "I can take you right back, you know." Pip only stared at him for a moment, tilting his head to the side, and then he licked his nose. "There's got to be something wrong with this thing..."

I only smiled as I took the kitten from him, being sure he was safely cupped in my hands before putting him gently back down on the floor. "You leave him alone for now, sweetie," I teased. "Your papa has to start getting ready for work."

"What the hell? Don't call me something like that." I giggled to see the man's flustered expression, but when I did, he only glared. "Unless you have something you want to tell me, that is." Now it was my turn to blush as I shook my head. I couldn't even imagine it... "Good. I have enough trouble keeping these cats of yours from killing me without having a kid around this place." Satisfied, Gray stood up from the couch and headed for the kitchen for his morning cup of coffee, but I found myself still standing there in something of a daze. After all, the thought of children had never once crossed my mind before.

But now that it had, I...

At that moment, I heard the washer sound, and once it did, my mind returned to the present. I didn't have time to consider such things, and so I went straight back to my early morning routine. I wasn't too worried about whether I'd be on time as I had never once been late to anything, especially not work, but just as I was about to take my shower, I realized something. My wrist was still in its cast and couldn't be put under water which meant I wouldn't be able to do much...

At least not on my own.

"Gray? I think I need your help with this..." Even from the bathroom, I could hear him grumbling to himself, but when he came in, he stopped rather suddenly. I only tightened the towel around my chest and tried to keep myself from blushing. "Can you..."

The man sighed, running his fingers through his hair, but glancing in my direction, I could see the faint brush of scarlet across his own features. "Alright... let's get you in there then."

--

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing something like that," I moaned with my head in my hands. "Now we're going to be late." Gray didn't say anything as he continued to drive, but we both knew he really couldn't since it was his fault in the first place. Not that I wasn't to blame as well, of course... "What are we supposed to tell Ms. Hart when we get there?"

"You're not hurt, are you?" I blushed, but I still shook my head. While it was true that I'd yelped when he first went to hold me in the shower, it was more out of surprise than pain. "Then we don't have anything to worry about."

"But we're going to be late," I reminded him. Although I knew it probably didn't mean much to him, I had always been rather proud of my near perfect record. Not only that, but I had already missed so much of work with the accident. I would be lucky if I would even had a job by the time I got there today. "And we both know Ms. Hart gave you a warning the last time."

"If she can give that sorry bastard a month off, we can be five god damn minutes late," he assured me before taking one last drink from his coffee mug. "She doesn't even know you're coming in anyway, right?"

I barely heard the man as we pulled into the parking lot. I all but leap out of the truck, not even waiting for him to shift into park, but even though I could just hear him calling after me not to kill myself, I was focused on one thing and one thing only.

Being on time.

My new ballet flats squeaked across the linoleum floor as I slid in front of the clock, but only a second or so before a minute after, my card slid into the machine. I had made it... and not a moment too soon, either.

"Does it feel good to be back on schedule?" I blushed, glancing over to see Kai standing over me and wearing his usual grin, but he only chuckled. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you when you were at the hospital, but I honestly had no idea you were even in there."

"Oh, don't worry about it," I assured him with a smile of my own. "It wasn't anything serious..." Then I had another thought. "You're back early, though, Kai. Did something happen while you were on vacation?"

"Just that I found out Denny is getting married in a couple weeks," he explained. I gasped, quickly turning my attention to his bewildered companion that was standing just behind him. "Easy, Claire," he teased with a laugh. "The poor boy's scared enough as it is."

"I am not," his friend insisted. "You're just jealous because your little girlfriend found someone else." I looked from one to the other as they locked eyes and dared the other to try and speak again. The sudden, uncomfortable silence left me feeling more than a bit out of place, but just when I was about to excuse myself, Denny glanced over towards me once again and changed the subject. "Did you get your hair cut, Claire? It looks nice."

As soon as he mentioned it, my cheeks warmed and I tucked my bangs back behind my ear. "Well, thank you... Gray was the one who did it for me."

"So he's good for something after all then." I was just about to defend the man when I heard a loud pop. When I glanced up at Kai, I found him nursing the back of his head with Gray standing behind him and holding a rolled up magazine at the ready to strike again.

"More than you can say, that's for sure," he muttered before turning his attention back to me. "Did you make it on time then?" I nodded, feeling more than a little embarrassed about my behavior before and after we had arrived at the office, but even if he was still frustrated with me, he made no mention of it. "We better get to work then before the bitch starts in on us."

"I'll be right there," I agreed as I trailed after him. However, before disappearing completely, I gave a little wave to the two men left behind. "Oh, and congratulations, Denny. I want you to tell me everything about the wedding when you get a chance, okay?" He hesitated at first before he nodded, his tanned face turning a light shade of red. However, just as I was about to step out of the break room, I ran right into a wall... or at least that's what it felt like.

"Careful. If you get hurt again, nothing's going to get done around here." I gave Vaughn a questioning look, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks, but I soon understood what he meant to say as he nodded towards Gray's office. "He's pretty much useless unless you're here."

"I understand," I assured the man with a faint laugh. "I promise I won't be leaving again any time soon."

"Vaughn, are you bulling our little Claire?" Grace was wearing a smile as she said it, but even to my own eyes, it seemed to be somewhat forced. The man merely glanced in her direction, his gaze darkening, but he said nothing as he turned to leave. "Sorry if he was bothering you..." she apologized, her hands resting on her hips. "He's not having an easy time of it this week."

"Oh no," I insisted, shaking my head. "Mr. Williams was only saying hello." It was an obvious lie, but if she realized this for herself, the woman made no sign of it. She only continued to study me until, at last, she sighed.

"Alright then, if you say so..." Then upon seeing my cast, she frowned. "Are you sure you'll be able to work with that arm of yours, Miss Muller?"

"Yes, of course," I assured her, offering her a soft smile. "However, if there are any delays, I will be sure to notify you, and if need be, I will be more than willing to stay until the work is finished."

She seemed think over what I had said for a moment, but soon enough she nodded in approval. "Very well. I'll leave you to your work then."

Bowing slightly, I slipped around the woman, but it was only after I was safely in my office that I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Although I had enjoyed the sudden attention, I had to admit I was more than a little intimidated to be back at work. After all, by the sounds of it, very little had gotten done while I had been gone... However, I could not hide the smile that graced my lips as I considered this. After all, at the very least, I was not one to shy away from a challenge.

Not to mention I was always one for routine.

--

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the lack of updates recently, but once again, I have been distracted by a new project. That little piece of work will not be posted in quite a while, though, so no worries there.

If you happen to notice any parallels between this chapter and the last, it was not a coincidence. My only problem with this new installment is how it really doesn't lend anything to the plot... Oh well, writing for Claire is always relaxing in any case, so that in itself is a very good thing in my opinion. :)


	45. Chapter Forty Five

**Chapter Forty-Five**

"Ms. Hart, are you going out again this evening?"

"Yes..." I agreed with a heavy sigh as I finished buttoning my blouse. Elli questioned me with her wide, brown eyes, but I chose to ignore her curious gaze. However, it seemed she wasn't about to be dismissed in such a way. At least not when it concerned me and my newfound 'love life.'

"Forgive me for saying so, but... you don't seem very happy about it." I only sighed again, clasping the gold chain around my neck, but she was determined as always. "Did something happen between you two the last time?"

"I wish."

Our supposed 'date' was truly one of a kind, though, I had to admit. After all, it had to be the first time I spent an entire evening with someone in absolute silence. I didn't really mind so much since I was more or less talked out myself that day, but I still found it somewhat unnerving. The closest we got to an actual conversation was when over dinner I had made a bet with the man that by the end of the night I would get him to say at least three words.

To which he had replied in his usual way, "You lose."

"He's like a damn wall," I muttered, flipping back my hair. Of course, I'd known that from the first day I met him for his interview, but these days he seemed even more distant than before. Not from just me, but everyone else in the office as well. He didn't even scowl when he passed Kai in the hall or show that ghost of a smile to see Claire scurry by him to fret over her irritable companion... He was like a copier or a desk in that he was just there because he always had been, like a part of the building itself.

"Well, you did say he was having some personal troubles," Elli reminded me, her voice gentle and understanding. "And what with Mr. Thompson marrying that woman, I'm sure he has a lot on his mind."

"Then why doesn't he say anything about it?" Although I could do without having another boxing match between my employees any time soon, I still would've liked to have seen the man lose his temper if it meant he could be more like his usual self.

Not to mention that if I was lucky, we'd be down one mailroom clerk on our payroll.

So far, though, he hadn't so much as blinked when the other was in the room. The only glares between them came from Denny, and even then, it was more of a look of curiosity as if the young man was just as confused as myself. I was sure he was wondering the same as me as to why there were no heated arguments over things like child custody or unresolved financial matters. After all, wasn't that the kind of thing that happened in a divorce?

"Are you ready to go?" Elli and I both looked to the door to find Vaughn standing in the doorway. He stood like a pillar, the only sign of life being in his peculiar eyes, and not for the first time, I had to ask myself whether he could even be real.

"Yeah, I'm ready," I agreed, grabbing my coast and purse before heading out after the man. "Elli, could you lock up for me tonight?" She gave a slight nod, still bewildered by his sudden appearance, and if only to reassure her that I would be alright, I offered her a weak smile. "Thanks."

We stepped into his truck in silence, but once the doors were closed, I sighed. I didn't really know why I had agreed to this after our last night out together, but there I was, heading out on the town with the Grim Reaper once again. However, as I watched the city lights begin to fade away as we continued up the expressway, I had to admit he had my attention.

"Where are we going?"

"My place," he replied cooly. "It's just a couple hours away from here." My jaw dropped. There was no way in hell...

"A couple of _hours?'"_ I repeated. "You've got to be shitting me!" The man only stared straight ahead, his jaw set firmly in place, but that just pissed me off even more. "What about my car?"

"It'll be there on Monday." I narrowed my eyes, but when he didn't say anything more, I gritted my teeth and began digging through my purse for my phone. If he wanted to be a dick about it, then fine. There was still no fucking way I was leaving a Mercedes Benz sitting in a parking lot on the outskirts of town for the entire weekend. "Who are you calling?"

"Trent." Vaughn scowled as I said the other's name, but I was too angry to even care. "He has a set of my keys."

"Let me talk to him," he ordered, holding out his hand for my phone. At first, I only hesitated, but when he cast me a sidelong glance, I reluctantly gave it to him. He pressed the send button, and after a moment waiting for my friend to pick up, he spoke. "This is Vaughn." A pause. "Yes, I'm taking her for the weekend." Another pause. "Yeah, just pick up her car."

Without so much of a good-bye, he snapped the phone shut before tossing it back to me. "What the hell? You made it sound like a damn kidnapping."

"You don't need to talk to him." I raised an eyebrow, wondering just what could possibly be going through that head of his, but for the life of me, I couldn't tell whether he was serious or just yanking my chain. Not that he was one for that. "Shut it off."

"Why should I?" I demanded, glaring at the man. Just what the hell was he thinking?

"It's going to go dead if you don't," he explained. I studied him for another long while, but after a heavy silence, I sighed and flipped my phone open once again. I watched as the screen went dark, and as soon as it did, I felt my chest tighten. This didn't feel right. Something... or maybe it was more like everything... was off. Not telling me where we were going, leaving my car behind in the office parking lot, refusing to let me talk to someone, and then having me shut off my phone? It was like watching a horror movie... with me being pigeon-holed as the ditz in heels.

"Calm down..." he sighed, slouching back in his seat. "You make me nervous when you sit like that."

"I make _you_ nervous?" I laughed. "You've got to be kidding me..." I sure as hell wasn't the controlling, possessive one here. He apparently didn't understand my way of thinking any better than I did his, though, since he only furrowed his brow and frowned. Only slightly, of course, because it'd be a cold day in hell before Vaughn could show any real emotion.

"I never kid," he insisted, waving me off. I just laughed.

"Yeah, right. So says the man who only says two words just to be a smart ass." He cracked a hint of a smile then, but he said nothing. Not that it surprised me any, of course. At the very least, though, he seemed to be more like his usual self... which still wasn't much, but it was more human than he had been for the past month or so.

"I don't like to waste my time," he mused, his voice betraying something of a laugh. "Talking takes too much energy."

"And this is why I can't talk for myself?" I asked, still irked by the fact he hadn't let me speak to Trent earlier. "Are you sure it's not just jealousy or something?"

"Hardly... There was just no reason for you to," he explained. "You women always talk too much, so I made the call for you. He said he would take the car, so there was nothing else to talk about. He fell silent then, having said more in those few short minutes than he had all week... and for the next hour and a half, we drove on in silence.

By the time we got to his place, night had set it, and after driving over a mile off the main road and into the woods, the night seemed even darker. That wasn't the worst of it, though.

For some reason, I had thought a man like Vaughn would live much like myself. I wasn't expecting a mansion on the hill or anything, of course, but given the sharp way he dressed from day to day and the truck he drove, I would've thought he had more than just a shack to call home. Then again, it was probably what most people called a cabin, but to a city girl like me, they were more or less one in the same.

"Come on," he ordered, leaving the front door open for me to enter. I fought back a scowl as I stalked past him, but as soon as he slipped in after me and shut the door behind us, I thought I heard a roll of thunder. Problem was, it was in the middle of November... which, given how piss-ass cold it was getting, made thunderstorms a bit out of season.

However, I soon found out that whatever it was, it was very much on this earth.

Out from the back of his house, three dogs came charging up to greet us. While I cursed at myself for doing so, I leapt back at first and clung to the man standing next to me. I expected for them to jump or at least bark, but as soon as they caught sight of Vaughn, they came to a sudden halt and sat right down with only the tips of their tails wagging in anticipation.

"Don't mind them," he assured me. "They know better than to jump." It was a good thing, too, since all three of them would have no trouble taking me out. The first who approached him was clearly a German Shepherd with a dark, sleek coat. The second, a husky, seemed to be more interested in me than his master, and after sneaking a glance towards the man to be sure he wasn't looking, went to lick my hand.

The third was the one I was most worried about, though. There was no doubt in my mind that it could, and probably did, out-weigh me, and I cringed to see the rather large glob of drool that clung to its lip.

"He's a mastiff," Vaughn explained. "I had to rescue that one." I nodded, my hand reaching out to the animal, but it only stared up at me as I scratched behind its head. Then he barked. However, it was more like a sonic boom and nearly blasted my damn ears. "Winston."

The man didn't even have to raise his voice to silence him, and as soon as he said his name, the dog tucked its tail between its legs and slinked off towards a back room. Vaughn glared after him until he was out of sight, but then he went to wave off the other two who went trotted off, the husky taking a playful nip at the other's ear. "So who are those two?"

"Adolf and Roosevelt." I just stared.

"You're shitting me." Once again, he offered me only a ghost of a smile, and with that alone, I knew I had my answer. "Why the hell would you name a dog after Hitler?"

"He wasn't the only man to have that name," he reminded me. I thought to mention that naming his companions after political officials of the same time period meant it was more than just a mere coincidence, but before I could, he began walking towards the kitchen. I followed him, but to my surprise, there was one more dog, a collie this time, waiting for us there as it lay beside the stove.

"So is this one Stalin?"

"No... that was my wolfhound," he explained with a whisper of a laugh. "This is Rosie." Upon hearing her name, her ears perked as she lifted her head to look at him, but soon enough, she laid back down again. "She was a gift."

"From your wife?" He didn't even flinch as he continued to make himself a pot of coffee, but when he turned back to me, his eyes were narrowed.

"Ex-wife," he corrected me. "And yes, she was." Even though I would've liked to have heard more, I stayed quiet. After all, I know the bastard would only say as much as he felt was absolutely, and since he had already made a point not to talk about her, I wasn't about to push it any further.

Not when I was two hours away from civilization anyway.

While Vaughn stayed in the kitchen, I slowly made my way towards the den. It was tucked just out of the way around the corner, but when I stepped into the room, it was like I had gone into another world entirely. There was only a leather recliner and an old, worn in love seat resting in the far corner and across from them was a small fireplace. However, the bookcases were what really caught my attention.

Although the room was tight enough without them, almost every inch of the walls were lined with books. For the most part, they were all leather-bounds. Glancing over the titles etched into the spines, it wasn't hard to figure that the man's interest in the World Wars extended beyond naming his dogs after historic figures.

He even had a copy of _Mein Kampf_ for Christ's sake.

"Find anything that interests you?" I glanced back to find him standing just behind me with a cup of coffee in each hand. I only held up the book in my own hand, but he didn't even blink. "Well, that certainly is interesting."

"Did you actually read it, or is it just for looks?" Once again, he offered me a faint whisper of a laugh, but coming from him, that was a miracle in itself. "WAsn't be a painter... you know, before he became a Nazi shit-head?"

"And after," he agreed. "He was also a vegetarian."

"You're shitting me." I laughed. "Guess we better start keeping on eye an Claire then." After all, it was almost always the quiet ones... and you couldn't get much quieter than that girl. "So... seems like you know a lot about this kind of thing."

Vaughn only shrugged, handing me my coffee, but he didn't elaborate any further. He only studied the books lining the shelves for a moment as if he felt the need to remind himself that they were, indeed, still there, but then his gaze feel back to me. "I'm sorry I had to bring you out here. I don't care for the city much..."

At first, I could only stare since it had to be the first time the man had ever apologized for anything. However, when I realized he was curious, I almost had to laugh. "Is that why you were such a tight ass Friday night?" I asked with a grin. He only stared. "Come on, Vaughn. You were stiff as god damn board."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He might have tried to brush it off as nothing, but I knew I had him. After all, it was almost unheard of for the man to look uncomfortable... much less actually see him blush.

Yes, swear to God, Grim was _blushing._

"You know, I should embarrass you more often," I teased. He narrowed his eyes, but I just chuckled to myself. "It's cute."

Now he really was embarrassed... so much so that he was starting to turn a rather nice shade of crimson which was deep enough to match the tie still around his neck. Without another word, I reached up to loosen it, but just when I started on it, his hand engulfed my own and stopped me. "Think carefully before you try and do something like that," he warned. "I don't like to play around."

"Is that so?" I asked, fighting back a smile. With one easy motion, I undid the knot and let the silky fabric fall to the floor in a satin heap on the floor. "Well... it just so happens that neither do I."

Before he could say much as a single word, I leaned into the man and kissed him. I had expected him to go stiff or push me off, but I was surprised when I felt him put his arm around my waist and pull me even closer. For a man who was so cold, he felt hot to the touch, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining any. If anything, I was disappointed when he finally pulled away. "What? Not good enough for you, handsome?"

"That isn't it," he assured me. "I just don't like to be watched when I do my business." At first, I had no idea what he was talking about, but all it took was a look behind him to understand just he meant.

There, just outside the door, were four pairs of eyes staring at us.

"Here, let's go somewhere else," he offered, taking me by the arm. The dogs parted for us as we made our way past with Vaughn all but dragging me along. They still followed us, their claws clicking on the hardwood floor. That was until he closed the bedroom door behind us and locked it with a key. Although I raised an eyebrow, I didn't ask any questions. After all, I had my suspicions as to what it was for.

At the very least, this man had no intentions of letting me leave this room on my own.

With that being the case, I was actually surprised not to see any damn chains on the walls or a riding crop on the bed when he finally went to turn the lamp on. What didn't surprise me, though, was the fact that the whole room from the bedspread to the dresser was decked out in black. The only other 'color' was the grey walls and floors, but I had to admit it was better than being in a basement somewhere.

Not that I wasn't still waiting for it, of course.

"You really know how to make a woman feel right at home." There was a slight chill in my voice as I said it, but if he noticed, Vaughn made no sign of it. He was apparently too interested in picking up where we had just left off. He had brought me close again, but this time, he was the one taking the lead. So much so that the way he held me against him made me wonder if he was waiting for someone else to try and take me instead. "Just what the hell is with you?"

"I told you..." he began, his voice becoming dark and husky. He didn't continue as he reached behind me and unzipped the back of my skirt, and not a moment after, he slipped it down and let the fabric pool at my feet.

"I don't like to play around."

--

**Author's Note:** Yes, I so went there with naming the German Shepherd, but when I first decided that Vaughn was going to own one, it was either going to be Adolf or Heinrich. However, the first won out since it went so nicely with Winston and Roosevelt. :)


	46. Chapter Forty Six

**Chapter Forty-Six**

"You don't have to look so scared, you know." The young man sitting next to me only nodded, but he still kept himself pressed hard against the back of his seat. He looked terrified, and I had a feeling he was doing a lot more thinking than he should've been. "Are you really that worried about tomorrow?"

"No, I'm worried about tonight," Denny corrected me, his voice livid as he continued to glare out the window in front of him. "Where are we going anyway? If you think I'm going to let you take me to some-"

"Relax, I'm not taking you to a strip club," I assured my friend with a laugh. "Unless you want to..."

"Kai, don't you dare," he warned. The street lights flickered past just in time for me to see the glare he gave me to make sure I knew he was serious. I only continued to grin. "I'd like to at least get married to this woman before I have to worry about divorcing her."

I frowned to hear that. After all, I'd heard of guys not being sure about going through with this kind of thing- not that I blamed them- but never thinking about having a court case on their hands in the near or even distant future. She might have been making her way down the aisle for round two, but if he was all ready finding reasons that she might leave him, then maybe we needed to talk a little more about the whole marriage thing. Not to mention the wedding the next day.

"You sure you can handle this? I mean... you only just got your own life together without-"

"Don't even say it..." he sighed as he rested his head against the window. "We already talked about this, and I know I want to. It's not just about doing her a favor or anything like that at all."

To be honest, I had to wonder just why he wouldn't go so far as to say he loved her, but before I could even think to ask, we pulled up to my apartment. Not that I still couldn't have asked then, of course... if it wasn't for the woman standing next to the front door.

"Karen? What are you doing here?"

She only continued to lean against the brick wall, cigarette in hand as always, and before she answered, she tossed it to the ground and crunched it under the heel. As she came over to join us over by the car, I noticed that her eyes were red and swollen. Not that I would think to mention it to her.

"Well, hello there, handsome..." she teased with a laugh, her voice cracking. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Are you home now?" The woman scowled, her well groomed eyebrows coming to a point just over the narrow bridge of her nose, but she didn't offer any reply. "He'd probably be happy to see you, you know."

"Like you know anything," she hissed, her gaze meeting mine before darting off in another direction. "I just had to pick up some stuff, that's all."

"Then where is it all?" I asked with a soft, knowing smile. After all, other than a snug black mini dress and a clutch, the mother didn't have anything on her that I could see. Of course... there were many things I couldn't see on a woman like her, but I still all too well what she had. "Come on, Karen, it's okay if you miss him."

"I don't," she muttered as she began digging through her purse. "Dammit... Hey, Kai, you got a cigarette?"

"Not on me," I replied with a shrug. "I think I have a pack upstairs if you want me to take a look, though." She went pale then, her green eyes wide and even more vibrant in color, but I only continued to smile. "Unless you're trying to quit again?"

"Maybe I should..."

Without another word, she turned to leave with her sharp high heels making their way down the sidewalk and into the night. I knew she would be back, though, if her being there in the first place was anything to go on.

"Shouldn't we tell Rick she was here?" my friend asked, looking back at my neighbor's door once we had made our way upstairs. "I mean, I know you two don't get along, but-"

"That's got nothing to do with it," I assured him as we stepped into my apartment. "Well, I guess it does, but it's not because I'm trying to make things difficult for him. It's just... What do you think would happen if I told him I saw his wife out front?"

Denny thought on this for a moment, but soon enough he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you really can't say anything." Then he shook his head and smiled. "That's still your fault, you know."

"I know." After all, if I never had anything to do with her, he probably would've understood what I was trying to say. Unfortunately for me, and not to mention him, I knew he'd think I'd been with the woman on more than just friendly terms. "She'll come back when she's ready, I guess. Not much we can do about it for now..."

"Why'd you invite me over here anyway?"

"Come on now... All I wanted to do was have some fun before you have to stay home all the time with your new family," I assured him with a grin. He just glared at me, no doubt thinking that I had something else in mind, but I kept trying. "I told you I wasn't going to do anything stupid... Want something to drink?"

"Depends on what you have." To be honest, I was a little surprised since Denny was never one to drink much, but I didn't question it. After all, I figured his nerves were probably getting to him, and I really couldn't blame him for that when I knew I'd feel the same way if I was him.

"Well... " Reaching up into the first cupboard, I started to bring down the various bottles I had tucked away, but after a while, I heard my friend come over to join me. I didn't really think about it all that much, though, until he picked one of them up. "What is it?"

"Just how much liquor do you have around here?" he asked, looking up from the bottle in his hand. I just laughed and went back to my search, but apparently he wasn't about to let it go just yet. "I'm serious, Kai. If you're the one drinking all this-"

"Oh, come on, Denny," I sighed, digging back further for a half bottle of vodka. "It's not like I'm Gray, so-"

"He quit, though," my friend reminded me. "Can't you give the guy a break? I mean, you were the one who messed up when it came to Claire, so you really can't blame him for that."

"I'm not." I really wasn't... but I had to admit that it sounded like it sometimes. I didn't hate the man at all, and I didn't think he was the worst thing that could happen to the woman, either. If anything, he was the best person for her as far as I could tell. "But I just can't help thinking he won't be able to stop for good, you know?"

"Gray can handle it," he assured me as he picked up another bottle. "Since when do you drink Jack Daniel's?"

"Karen brought that over," I replied with a shrug. "She likes to bring this kind of thing over after work, but she usually forgets about them when she goes home. You can have some if you want it, but it's strong stuff."

I know. That's why I asked," he explained. "Is it really okay for her to take this from work, though?" I just sighed, wondering how he could spend so much time thinking about this kind of thing, but before I could ask, he found something else to catch his attention. "Where's the Parrot Bay? Don't you always have rum around here?"

I hesitated, my eyes searching the counter, and then it hit me. "Popuri has it, I think."

Denny's gaze met mine, and even though he didn't say as much, I knew he was curious. Not that I blamed him, of course, since I hadn't mentioned the woman since coming back home. To be honest, I didn't really want to talk about her, but by the look on his face, he wasn't about to let it go any time soon. Luckily, though, he didn't bring it up just yet.

"Well, don't worry about it then. It's just weird for you not to have any, that's all." He finally settled for a martini, but his eyes never left me when I went about making the damn thing. "You haven't had me over for a while," he began again. "Everything alright?"

"It's fine, Denny," I muttered as poured his drink. "You keep forgetting I've been coming over to your place every week."

"Yeah, but you don't stay for dinner all that much any more," he continued to argue. "You know Chelsea likes it when you come over, and even Alicia's starting to warm up to you a little bit. You don't have to stay here by yourself all the time."

I only sighed, but when I did, he just gave me another look. "She might not mind right now, but just wait a couple weeks after you two get married. Trust me on this one. It's just gonna go downhill from there..."

"Chelsea's not like that," he insisted, shaking his head. "She talks about you like you're my brother or something most of the time."

"Well, someone's got to keep an eye on you," I teased with a grin. "Better be careful, though. If you get in trouble with the misses, I won't be able to help you. Just remember that."

"She's not that bad..."

"Not yet she isn't." After all, if someone like Vaughn couldn't deal with her and whatever her problems may have been, then I wasn't so sure whether my friend could handle her any better. Of course... that man wasn't exactly the most comforting person I'd ever met. More like downright terrifying. "Is Alisa happy about it?"

"I think so... Not that it's easy to tell." Then he sighed. "I'm kind of worried about her to be honest. I mean, from what she's told me, her and her dad were actually really close..."

"Didn't Chelsea say she was why he left, though?"

"Yeah... but I think there was a lot more to it than that." Denny got unusually quiet as he sat down on the couch, but when he said it, I could tell he was nervous about the whole thing. I had a good feeling he was wondering just how much he didn't know, but even if he knew more than he did, I figured there'd be even more that was left unsaid. That's just how relationships worked. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Do you even have to ask?" I chuckled, taking a seat next to him. He just sighed again before taking another sip from his glass, but just by looking at him, I could tell he didn't really want to have any of it. "If it's about the wedding tomorrow, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I mean, I don't really like it myself, but-"

"It's not about that," he snapped. "I just don't know what to do about Alisa. It's not like I have my own kids at all, so..."

"That girl loves you, though," I reminded him. "Sure, you're not her real dad, but she still likes having you around. Even I can tell that much."

Denny nodded, resting his head on the back of the couch, but he didn't look like he was convinced just yet. I wouldn't either if I was walking into something like this. After all, his bride to be was a mother, and that meant he was not only going to have to learn how to be a husband but a father as well with his already made family.

Even without being in his situation myself, I could understand why he'd be a little apprehensive.

"You'll be fine," I assured him with a laugh. "You just have to quit worrying about it. If she didn't want to marry you, she'd say something about it, and the same goes for Alisa."

"So says the guy who's still single..." he muttered while taking yet another sip. "You never told me what happened to you and Popuri, you know. Did you really just leave her there?"

"What else could I do?" It was my turn to sigh then before taking a drink of my own, but it didn't do me much good. Not when all it was was some vodka mixed with some fruit punch I had sitting in the fridge. "It's not like she was going to come back with me anyway."

"You didn't have to come back..."

"Of course I did," I snapped. "Do you really think I'd just leave you here by yourself with all this going on? Besides, it wasn't like I left her alone there anyway..."

"So she found someone else?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been having a lot of bad luck when it comes to women lately, haven't you? First Eve, then Claire, and now Popuri... Guess that means I'm not that bad off after all, huh?"

"Now I remember why I don't drink with you," I muttered, glancing down at his empty glass. "Just one martini, and you're already turning into a brat."

"Like you're any better." I wanted to agree with him on that one, but since I knew he was right, I decided it was better to keep my mouth shut for once. After all, the last thing I wanted to do was to prove him right. "You always mix them weird anyway."

"You should've said something if it was too strong."

"I can't tell until after it hits me," he explained with a shrug. "I never taste it... I just feel it, I guess." Well, I could understand that... especially since I was more or less the same. "I really shouldn't be drinking at all, though. What with the wedding and all tomorrow."

"Oh, come on," I chuckled, giving him a little shove. "You're supposed to have fun tonight, remember? Lighten up for once, will you?"

"And how are your lady problems fun exactly?" I shoved him again, but apparently I pushed a little too hard because he ending up falling over. Not that it hurt him any, of course. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You were the one who brought it up," I reminded him. "It's not like I wanted to talk about it..." I would've been just as happy to forget all about my situation, but being Denny, he just couldn't let it go. "I don't know why you care anyway. I figured you'd be happy about this. I know you like it when I fuck these things up."

"Only when I think you deserve it."

"Then why'd you bring it up now?" I muttered, standing up to myself another drink. He followed me, keeping only a step or so behind me, but when he went to pick up a bottle for himself, I set it right back down. "You better wait on that."

Denny just glared at me, but he left it alone. He knew better than to try and prove me wrong. "Shouldn't you be more careful, too? I mean... three is usually all you can handle, right?"

Now it was my turn to glare back at him.

"I think I can handle a couple drinks," I shot back. He only smiled, picking up yet another bottle, and then he did something new. He laughed... and he laughed _hard._ "What?"

"Just that I bet I could out drink you," he managed out, trying not to grin as he said it. I knew he didn't really mean it, but maybe I put more vodka in the first cocktail than I thought... because I just grinning right back at him. After all, I was never one to back down from a challenge like that... not when it was coming from him.

"Sounds like fun."

--

**Author's Note:** Oh my fucking god... You have no idea how much aggravation this damn chapter has caused me. No matter what I did or even thought of doing, it just wouldn't work. Now, though?

Now it's _on._


	47. Chapter Forty Seven

**Chapter Forty-Seven**

"Are you sure you're ready? You can still back out, you know."

"Kai, you know I want to go through with this." He was only teasing me, of course, but I'd still said it... if only to remind myself of the fact. It just seemed so surreal to me, the thought of getting married, and yet it was happening right there in front of me. "I just don't believe it."

"Don't put your head down," he scolded me, tilting my chin back up. "How am I supposed to tie this thing if I can't even see it?" He gave the tie one last jerk before stepping back to inspect his work, but when I went to loosen it a little, he smacked my hand away. "Don't you even think about it."

"But it's too tight..." I complained. "You know I can't stand it when you do that."

"You wouldn't let me get you a tux, so I don't even want to hear it," he warned. "You're just lucky I could find a _black_ suit that could actually fit you."

I didn't really understand why the color was so important, but I didn't argue with him. After all, I had learned rather early on that Kai was surprisingly stubborn about how things should be done when it came to a wedding, and with the whole argument about my bride's dress only two hours earlier, I wasn't about to question him further on much of anything.

As long as he was somewhat happy, it was all I could really hope for.

He gave me one last once over, making a loop with his finger to have me turn around, and after dusting off my shoulders across the back, he finally smiled. "There. That's about as good as we're gonna get, I think. Not bad at all, really."

"You're worse than my mother."

"If you had one," he teased. I only smiled, but he'd already turned his attention to the clock over the microwave. "What time do we need to be there?"

"Eleven." He nodded, but just when he was about to speak again, we heard the sound of small running feet coming down the hall. Alisa quickly appeared in the kitchen, now wearing her own little white dress, but although she smiled to see me, it quickly disappeared once she saw my friend.

"Mr. Denny, Mama wants you," she announced, very matter-of-factly. "She said to tell you her dress is broken."

"Okay, I'll be right there," I agreed, staying calm if only because I figured it was a broken zipper or a lose thread. "But while I'm helping your mama, can you go put on your shoes?" She nodded, and just as quickly as she had appeared, she had vanished once again. I followed only a little ways behind her, but when I came into Chelsea's room- or rather _our_ room, I suppose- I paused in the open doorway just to see her.

She was sitting on the bed, gazing out the curtained window that overlooked the front yard and into the street, but when she heard me come in, she turned back to smile at me before coming to stand. "Oh, good. I think my zipper's caught," she explained as she turned her back to me and lifted up her hair. "Could you get it for me?"

I tried to keep my hands from shaking while I did so, but I was surprised to find it glided up without any trouble at all. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she hadn't even tried to do it herself before calling for me. As soon as she came to face me once again, though, any of the doubts I had left seemed to melt away.

Her dress was simple enough, just a satin white dress with what Kai called a sweetheart neckline and an a-line skirt. There wasn't a train or even a veil, and I could tell she put her hair up herself. Not that she did a bad job of it, of course. "Do you like it then?" she asked with a smile. "To be honest, I'm a little worried about it..."

"Why would you be?"

"Well, Kai doesn't seem to like the dress all that much," she explained. I only rolled my eyes at first, but I still couldn't keep myself from smiling. After all, had I not seen it for myself, I never would've thought he'd throw a tantrum like that.

"Good thing he's not the one marrying you then." She laughed again, but she stopped long enough for me to give her a kiss. "So you don't have to worry about him, okay?"

She nodded, twirling around one last time, but whether it was for her or my benefit, I had no way of knowing. All I knew was when I tried to look back at her again, she was gone and making her way towards the kitchen. "Are you ready to go, honey?" Alisa said nothing at first, only gazing up at the woman in wonder, but then she smiled and took her mother's hand in her own.

"You look really pretty, Mama," she whispered, her head bowed while she tried to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. Looking back at the man still seated at the kitchen table, she smiled once again. "I think Mr. Kai thinks so, too." My friend's face flushed when the young girl said as much, but I just grinned. "Don't you, Mr. Kai?"

"Let's just get to the court house," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're already going to be late as it is..."

--

To be honest, I didn't really feel much while we drove through town in the Mustang. Even though I was in a tuxedo and sitting beside my bride to be in her wedding gown, it just wasn't real to me yet. It was all a dream... and a beautiful one at that. It was only when we started up the marbled steps that the weight of the whole situation became a reality.

Kai looked more than a little unhappy as we made our way towards the far end of the building, but when he saw me out of the corner or his eye, he still managed a smile for me. "Don't go getting cold feet on me now," he chuckled. "We wouldn't want to disappoint those two lovely ladies, would we?"

"Weren't you the one telling me there was still time to back out?"

Our Justice of the Peace was a rather imposing woman with her all black suit and straggly, blonde hair, but seeing us, she smiled while her red eyes seemed to glimmer. I thought it was strange, but I found out why soon enough. "If it isn't Chelsea," she laughed. "I can't say I expected you to be back here so soon!"

"You know her?" I asked, glancing from her and back to my bride. Neither woman said a word, but they did exchange a look and then a smile. Kai just shrugged and shook his head, but I could still see the growing grin on his face as well. Only Alisa seemed as confused as I was.

"Okay then, let's get this ceremony started, shall we?"

The ceremony itself was rather simple, but the woman was unorthodox at best, often saying 'so on and so on' which left my friend anything but happy. Not to mention there were a few times where I had to ask for her to repeat herself after being distracted by the two of them. It might have been for the best, though, because I wasn't so sure if I could go through with it all if it wasn't for everything else that went on.

"And so, with the power invested in me by this state, I now declare you husband and wife under the law." I blinked, not even having realized I'd said 'I do' or even exchanged the rings, but she only raised a perfectly arched brow. "Well, it's all you, buddy."

I was confused at first, but by the time I finally understood, Chelsea was the one kissing me. The Justice only laughed, flipping open her binder and scrawling something inside it before handing me our marriage certificate. And, with that, the deed was done.

I had to admit that I felt rather anxious as we made our way down the marble steps once gain. It wasn't so much that I didn't believe it was real any more, but it was more like it was finally coming together for me. I was married, and we already had a child to raise. Not to mention a house to pay for and-

"Mr. Denny, are you okay?" Alisa was looking around the back of the front seat, her eyes wide with curiosity. "You don't look good..."

I tried to reassure the little girl with a smile, but when I did, all three of us were suddenly thrown forward. We were a good two cars' length away from the actual driveway, but just as I went to ask Kai just what the deal was, I saw it.

A black pick-up truck.

"He didn't..." It was Chelsea who had spoken first, her voice flat with disbelief, yet it was her daughter that opened her door and went running up to greet the man. However, by the time she reached him, she immediately stopped right at his feet. I waited for her to hug him as most children would, but she didn't. She only waited.

Vaughn simply crouched down, his hands resting on her tiny shoulders as he whispered something in her ear, but he stood again when we came to join him and the young girl. I also couldn't help but notice the way his eyes darkened after his gaze fell on his former wife.

_My_ wife.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly. It was more straight to the point than what I was used to, but at that moment, I didn't really care one way or another. It was as if he hadn't even heard me because his gaze never left the woman still standing at my side.

"I just wanted to congratulate you," he replied, his voice never wavering. "So that dress still fits you then..." Chelsea blushed, one of the few times she ever did, but he didn't appear to take in any satisfaction in it. He just looked as calm as ever with his eyes filled with indifference. Then with a nod to Kai and me, he said, "See you on Monday."

He left without another word or even a glance in our direction, but it was only after the truck was out of sight that I realized my hands had been balled up into fists. It wasn't like me... and yet even while knowing that, I still felt angry. For him to show up here, wedding day or not, was just-

"Kai, I know it's early yet, but can you get dinner started for us?" Once again, it was Chelsea who broke the silence, but while her voice was light and cheerful, her expression was anything but. Like me, it seemed she wasn't the kind of person that could hide her feelings very well. Especially when it came to something, or someone, she didn't like. "I would do it myself, but I need to change."

"Yeah, no problem." I could tell his grin was forced at best, but I was grateful to him all the same. After all, at the moment, I really had no clue what I was suppose to do or even say. Not when the other man had shown up so suddenly without much, or any, real explanation... "Come on, Denny. I'm gonna need some help."

I nodded and went to follow him inside, but just as I was about to, I felt a tug on my pant leg. I didn't even have to look down to know just who it was, but I did all the same if only to reassure her as best I could. "It's okay now, Alisa," I said quietly, resting my hand on the child's head. "Did he say anything to you?"

"He said I had be a good girl for Mama and Mr. Denny," she explained, her voice barely a whisper. "'Be a good girl...' That's what he said."

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that." She nodded, offering me a little smile, and took a gentle hold of my hand. I only smiled back, leading her up to the house, but as we continued to walk up the sidewalk, I felt her small grip tighten on my own. "How about we have some ice cream after dinner? I think we still have some Superman left."

The young girl gazed up at me, her blue eyes wide and sparkling, and although I knew it wasn't much, I just had to chuckle to see her so excited. Even if I wasn't sure of what I could do for her, I could still try at least to do my best.


	48. Chapter Forty Eight

**Author's Note:** Well, I _was_ hoping to have this posted by the holidays, but that obviously didn't happen. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it all the same. : )

**Chapter Forty-Eight**

"Hey, Gray, you want some eggnog?" I glanced up from where I was sitting on the couch to see the young man already holding out a frothy glass for me to take, but I just narrowed my eyes and stayed quiet. "Come on now, a little rum never hurt anyone, right?"

"Mark, don't antagonize him," the other chided him as he walked in from the bedroom. He smiled down at me before taking the glass from his brother and sipping off the top and then sat down next to me. "You know very well that he can't drink." When the first went to open his mouth again, he was quick to cut him off. "Not even on the holidays."

"Well, that sucks." I just glared at the petite man, but he only grinned back which irked me even more than I was already. If the kid didn't look so much like Claire, other than his bright green eyes and being just an inch taller, I think I would've told the little bastard right off. As it was, though, I could only mutter to myself and slump back into the couch, and I just hoped to God that their sister would come and save my sorry ass from the likes of them.

It wasn't like I really had a problem with them, at least not so much the older one, but I wasn't one for new people. Especially not ones like these brothers of hers...

They weren't the pricks I thought they'd be... although their matching white, knitted sweaters and khaki pants made me wonder at first, but there was still something about them that made me uneasy. The feeling only got worse when they were together, and yet there I was with one sitting on either side of me in silence.

"I really hope you don't mind us staying here like this," the oldest began, setting his glass down on the coffee table in front of him. "If it's too much trouble for you both, I'm sure we could still find a hotel."

"Aw... but they have such a nice bed," the other whined next to me. "And anyway, they already told us we could stay, right?"

"Yes, but he might have only said as much because of Claire," his brother reminded him. "In any case, I don't think it's fair for us to stay when they don't seem to have much room for even themselves. Not to be of any offense, of course."

Looking around the place, I had to agree with him. I knew from moving her in here that Claire had some holiday stuff, but I never could have guessed she could pack so much shit in just three plastic tubs. The whole damn house looked like a Martha Stewart catalog with all the wall hangings, table cloths, and knickknacks she had, and even the bed and the curtains had to be changed before she was satisfied.

Not to mention I had to go out into the piss ass cold to string the lights _just so_.

As for the tree, I had been the one to piece it together for her, and although I was grateful not to have had to out and bring one home myself- if only because of Mark's apparent allergies- I still couldn't believe how damn precise the whole process had to be. Who really gave a shit which branches went where? It was a plastic tree, and that meant all of the damn things were the same as every other one.

Still... I had to admit it did look nice with all the hand-painted glass, porcelain ornaments, and gold lights she brought with her.

"Tell me, Gray... do you think Claire is happy?" I only blinked, suddenly being brought into another conversation with the man, but Will was quick to explain himself more as he rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands under his chin. "What I mean to say is... does she seem to be taking better care of herself since you first met her?"

"Yeah... I think so." At least from what I could tell. She still had her moments, like the one day at the hospital, but she was a lot different from the timid mouse of a woman I knew four years ago. She didn't apologize nearly as much, and she smiled more while actually looking like she meant it. "She's still too damn hard on herself, though."

"Well, that's to be expected... what with how our mother's influence," he chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "She has always been one for bettering herself... which I suppose can be a very good thing at times."

"But Claire's already the best," the other chimed in. As soon as he said it, their sister came into the room with a plate full of cookies and wearing her homemade holiday sweater. The one that matched the one she made for me... the one with the damn Christmas kittens on it which was yet another thing I had to blame those cats of hers for.

Her older brother stood, opening his arms to her and giving the woman a hug before kissing her on the forehead. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end to see her blush, but Mark just grinned. "You're going to ruin my figure if you keep insisting on feeding us so many treats, my dear sister," he teased, resting his hand on her head. "You spoil us enough as it is."

"Oh, Will, you never change," she giggled, her cheeks still flushed from embarrassment. "And I don't want to hear another word about that figure of yours. You look handsome enough as it is."

"And that's how I would like to keep it."

I only rolled my eyes, but when I did, I felt an arm make its way around my waist as Mark had pulled me closer to him. "Oh~ Looks like _someone's_ a little jealous there," he sang, giving me a wink. "If he gets her, though, at least you'll have me, right?"

"Mark." The older man glared at him then, but the other only stuck out his tongue before giving him a playful grin. He did let go of me, though, and it was all I could do not to move down to the far end of the couch just to make sure he kept his damn hands off me. It was then that his brother seemed to take some pity on me, but he still didn't help much. "Please forgive him, Gray, I'm afraid he isn't one to hold his liquor especially well."

"I still don't see why you let him drink in the first place..." Claire sighed, shaking her head as she sat down on the other side of me. "You really should be more responsible about him, Will."

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Mark argued, crossing his scrawny arms over his chest with a huff. "Anyway, it's not fair that she gets him all to herself..." Then he sighed before going to take another long sip from his glass. "All the good ones are always taken."

"Oh? And what would you do with him if you had him?" his brother asked, a dark chill coming over his voice. Claire apparently heard it, too, since I felt her tense beside me and her hand found its way into my own. She didn't say anything, though, only looking from one to the other as they continued to challenge one another with their eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the other muttered, glancing back towards me with a little smile. "There really is nothing like a big, strong man, is there?"

"I think I need a smoke." Before any of them could try and convince me to stay, I slipped out onto the porch out front. I stood there for a moment, fumbling in my pocket for my lighter while asking myself just what the hell had really been going on back there between those two. It was more than just teasing, but I'd be damned if I had any idea of what else it could be.

As I stood there, I heard the door open behind me, but when I looked back to see who it was, it was only Mark. This time, though, he wasn't grinning, and if I had to guess, I'd say he looked downright pissed. At least as much as someone like him could anyway.

He perched himself up on the small railing of the porch, his own cigarette in hand, and then he smiled once again before putting a finger to his lips. "Don't tell Claire about this, okay? She doesn't know I smoke..."

Well, I doubted that, what with that keen nose of hers and all, but I only nodded. After all, it didn't matter to me if she knew or not.

"Does he always talk like that?" I asked after a long pause. Mark just sighed, a trail of smoke drifting behind him when he did so, but at first he didn't say anything. He just stared out onto the street in front of us as a car rolled by. It was a quiet night, especially for Christmas Eve, but he didn't seem to enjoy the silence. Not that that was a surprise by any means.

"Yeah," he agreed. "He likes to sound important, I guess." He went quiet again as he took another drag off of his cancer stick before he flicked the last of it into the snow. "Sorry if I was being a jack ass... I really didn't mean anything by it, just so you know."

"Ah, so this is where you ran off to." He jumped then, whirling his head around to see his brother standing in the doorway, but when he realized it was only him, he turned away with a huff. "That's more than enough of your sulking, Mark."

"I'm not sulking."

"Yes, you are," the other sighed, clearly trying to keep his patience with the boy. "And it's because of you and your childish behavior that I had to leave Claire to sit all alone."

Mark slumped then before spinning himself back around and hopping down onto the porch. At first, he just put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tongue, but soon enough he was grinning again. "That's better, I suppose. Now... I would like to have a word with Gray, so would you mind going to keep her company until we come back inside?"

"Sure thing!" he agreed before quickly glancing back at me and giving me one last smile. "Don't let him bully you, okay? He's always been a big meanie."

Will said nothing at first, though, as he leaned against the railing next to me, but while Mark's silence had been a relief, this one just put me on edge. Too bad it only got worse when he started talking.

"There isn't really any reason for you to feel uneasy," he assured me. "I can promise you that what I wish to speak to you about isn't so much about whether or not you are suitable for my sister or even you yourself. Rather, I wanted to explain a few things about my brother and me." He paused then, but even though I had a feeling he wanted me to give him the go ahead, I kept my mouth shut. "I suppose I should begin, shouldn't I?"

"Up to you..."

"Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten what quiet company you can be." Well, it sure as hell wasn't like I could say anything without sounding like I didn't have a damn clue what I was talking about. Not when I was up against him, that is. "Claire tells me you aren't from the city. Where is it that you come from then?"

"Pigeon. Three hours west." He might have nodded, but I knew he didn't have any damn idea what I was talking about. No one ever did, and to be honest, I preferred it that way.

"How is it you came here then?"

"I thought this wasn't about me." He shut up rather quickly and stared wide-eyed, but it wasn't long until he started right back in again.

"Yes, I suppose I did," he agreed. "I'm terribly sorry if I've offended you any... It's a topic I would rather not discuss with others, you see." So why bother telling me? If he didn't want to, he could always just- "However. It seems to me that you and Claire have quite the future ahead of you, and so it only seems fair that I could tell you this...

"Am I right to assume that you know about my brother and his situation?"

"Yeah... He got kicked out, right?" The man nodded, his grip on the railing tightening, but he didn't continue. At least not at first.

"For her own sake, I think it would be best if Claire knew nothing about this, but... the truth of the matter is he was not the one at fault. I was." He took another deep breath, holding back a shiver all the while. "I was the one who... Well, let's just say that I should have been the one to be abandoned by our mother, not Mark. It never should have been Mark... but I-" He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "No, I suppose it was my money that she couldn't bear to part with. Not myself."

I stayed quiet, the truth of what had just been said still running circles in my damn head. If I had the right idea of what happened, then that meant there was a hell of a lot more wrong with those two than I ever wanted to know. No wonder he didn't want Claire to hear anything about it...

"Let's just get back inside." Will blinked in confusion, but I only shrugged, not having the nerve to so much as look at him. "It's too damn cold out here."

"True enough," he agreed as he took a step back from the railing. "We can't have Claire worrying about you any more than she already does, after all." As soon as he mentioned the young woman, I felt my whole body stiffen, but he just smiled. "I can assure you I have no intentions of stealing her away from you, Gray. However, I will say that if she was still with Kai... I have no way of knowing what I would do."

I glared at him, but before I could say much of anything, she was already in the kitchen waiting for us as we came back inside. "Is everything alright? You two were out there for a long time..."

"We were only having a little chat," he brother assured her with a smile, one much softer than the one he kept giving me. "I'm sorry if we kept you waiting."

"Oh no, Mark and I were just in the living room," she explained, a bright red blush making its way up her neck. The young man in question was standing just behind her, wearing that damn grim of his, but when he caught me looking at him, he just gave me a wink. I had no idea what he was thinking, though.

That is until he decided to tell me as much on his own.

"Hey, Gray. We have a little present for you." Before any of us could say a damn word, he had his hands on his sister's hips, and with one tug, he had pulled her skirt down to her knees...

And revealed a pair of candy striped panties.

_"Mark!"_ Her sudden shriek only made him laugh, but as soon as he started to, the other man took a firm hold of him and pulled him back out of sight and into the bedroom. Even while Claire was busy getting herself dressed again, though, I didn't really give a damn. All I was worried about was what was going on in our room while we weren't in there. "Gray, I'm so sorry... I don't know what came over him."

"How'd he know about those?" Claire didn't say a word as her face flushed again, but I wasn't about to let it go that easily. "You weren't wearing them this morning."

"I just told him I had a surprise for you..." she sighed, smoothing down her sweater. "I don't know how on earth he figured it out, but I guess it doesn't matter now." She sighed again as she shook her head, but then she seemed to have another thought. "Will said something to you, didn't he?"

"He said a lot of things," I muttered. I'd be damned if I'd tell her what, though. Even if he hadn't told me to keep my mouth shut, I never would've said a word of it to her. I don't think I could even repeat it to myself without gagging on it for Christ's sake.

"Was he trying to give you a hard time?"

"Claire, it's fine. He just wanted to talk." She studied me for a moment as if she didn't believe me, but then she smiled, wrapping her arms around me in a warm hug.

"It's going to be a very merry Christmas then," she giggled. "Isn't it?" Well, I didn't know about that. Not if her brothers kept trying to pick her ass up right out from under me. "You know... this is the first time the three of us have been together like this since we were all home."

I sighed, resting my my hand on the top of her head, but it was all I could do not to tell her to kick the two of them out... Well, at least the older one. Mark was a brat, but for whatever damn reason, I still couldn't make myself hate him just yet. "How long are they gonna be here anyway?"

"Just until the day after," she assured me. "Why? Is it your back again?"

"No, it's fine." She didn't believe me, glaring up at me for a moment, but when she did, it was hard not to crack a smile. It just wasn't her at all. Then she smiled.

"Gray, whenever you say 'it's fine,' it usually isn't." I felt my face warm to have her use my own damn words against me, but even though I knew she was only teasing me, I had to admit that I was surprised she remembered something like that. "Well, I'll get the couch ready for tonight, but can you get the other blanket out of the closet? Mark got some eggnog on the one I had out here earlier."

"Yeah, I've got it." She ducked around the corner to the washing machine, and for her own sake, she couldn't have done it too soon.

Not when her brothers were kissing one another just as I opened the damn door.


	49. Chapter Forty Nine

**Chapter Forty-Nine**

Something was different. Just what it was... I couldn't quite place at the moment, but something had changed. And knowing that, I had to wonder just what was happening without my knowing.

I had never been one for gossip since, more often or not, I was left far out of the loop when it came to such things. However, as soon as I put my mind to it, I found it was rather easy for me to find some answers. Of course, the person I'd gotten them from was not one I would've thought to ask despite her being at the center of everything that went on in our office, but I knew better than to tell her as much.

"Elli, do you know what's been going on around here?" The woman only blinked up at me as she leaned over the open drawer of her filing cabinet, her brown eyes uncertain of just what I meant, but I really didn't know how to explain myself any better. "I mean... don't things seem a little bit strange lately?"

"Things have always been strange around here," she assured me. "I don't really know how things can change when they're already so mixed up as it is."

"Well, it's just that... Isn't it just a little too quiet?" Indeed, as we stood together in the hall, there wasn't a single sound to be heard aside from the clicking of computer keys and the occasional fax. Even Kai's office, which was usually filled with the sound of his voice as well as his laughter, was eerily silent. Almost as if he wasn't there at all. "Surely something must be going on."

"To be perfectly honest, Claire, I think it's an improvement," she replied with a huff. "If you ask me, it's a wonder that much of any thing has ever gotten done in this office. You do have a good point, though." She thought on this for a moment, tapping her chin with her pen, and then smiled. "You know... I never would have thought things could get any better around this place, but it really has quieted down, hasn't it?"

"Do you think there's any reason why?"

She blinked again, but soon enough she began to smile even wider than before. "Oh, I don't think you really need to worry about that... After all, the reason isn't all that bad when you think about it, but if you really want me to tell you, why don't we get lunch together?"

"But don't you usually go with Ms. Hart?"

Elli laughed, a bright and cheerful sound that startled me, and shook her head. "Oh, I think she'll get along fine without me this time," she chuckled. "Just meet me out front in an hour, and we'll find something to eat."

--

I had to admit I felt a little out of place while we stood side by side in the hospital cafeteria. When she had first told me where we were going, I'd done my best to explain why it would be better for us to go elsewhere, but she'd insisted it was much better to go there instead. After all, according to her, it was much cheaper for much more than what we could get at any other restaurant in town. She even went so far as to offer to pay for me as well, and in the end, I was left with no choice but to go along with her.

"You know, I used to be a nurse," she continued, "but I couldn't distance myself enough from the patients. It was too much, really. I'm certainly better off now than I was before in any case... even if I don't feel like I'm doing enough with my life some times." She had been talking ever since we'd walked inside, but I didn't really hear much that was being said. Not that it seemed to matter. "I still care too much, of course, but at least everyone goes home at night."

"Have you noticed there's been less work coming in lately?" I asked. Elli looked startled at first, but then she just went to take a small salad from the counter in front of her and moved further down the line. "Gray and I always stay after, but we've been getting things done a lot sooner the past couple of weeks..."

"Well, my work never changes, so I wouldn't know." She paused to ask one of the caterers for some mashed potatoes with gravy as well as a fairly large piece of baked chicken and a spoonful of corn. "You really should have more than just a salad," she scolded me after taking a glance at my tray. "I'll never hear the end of it from that man of yours if I don't make you eat something."

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't say anything," I mused with a smile. "Do they have something with a little less... meat, though?"

"Ah, that's right... I forgot all about that." She glanced down towards the end of the line. "If I remember right, there's usually some vegetarian lasagna down that way. I don't really know if it's vegan, though."

"That's fine," I assured her, and with that, we were quiet for a time. At least until we went to sit at one of the tables there. "Are you really sure you don't want me to pay for this?" I asked, watching as she put her wallet back into her purse. "I have some cash with me..."

"For heaven's sake, Claire, you have a salad and half a piece of lasagna. I'm sure I can handle it." I let the matter rest there, but no sooner had we begun to eat before she started yet another conversation. "So... about what's going on at the office then." I only nodded. "I think I know what's happening."

"What is it exactly?"

"Well, to be honest, I was worried when you and Gray first got together. What with all the drama that went on... There's a reason most places are against these kinds of relationships, you know." She was trying her best to be nice about it, but it was clear to me that she was still against the whole idea. The realization of which made me blush. "I wouldn't worry about it now. If anything needs to be said about it, we're all better off with you both as you are now."

My face warmed all the more to hear her say as much, but she only laughed quietly to herself. "I don't really understand what you mean by that... but I-"

"I don't know for sure, but I think Gray's felt this was about you ever since you two started working with us," she explained. "Didn't you have your interviews on the same day?" I nodded in agreement, but to be honest, I didn't remember much about the day let alone about what I thought of him at the time. Other than how I was made even more nervous when we both sat outside of the main office waiting to speak with the woman who was to become our boss... "I'm not one to believe in love at first sight, but he's always been interested in you."

"I can't really agree with you there," I sighed, picking at my salad with my fork. "I never noticed anything until after Kai."

Elli didn't argue, but I could tell by her eyes that she felt she knew better than I did. She only continued to smile, though, and before I could ask her more about it, she went onto talking about something else entirely. "Were you invited to Denny's wedding?"

"No... not that I know of," I replied. "When did he get married? I knew he was engaged, but... I didn't think they would go through with it so soon."

"I don't think any of us did," she assured me. "Well, aside from that friend of his, but I'm not surprised he didn't say much to the rest of us. I only found out after Denny came to me with the paperwork this morning. You know, for changing his marital status, insurance... That kind of thing."

"Did he invite anyone from the officce?"

"Kai was the only one who went," she replied. "I asked Denny about it myself, but all he told me was that his wife didn't want things to get too crowded. It all sounds a bit suspicious to me, though." She paused for a moment while taking a large bite of her cheesecake- which I had only just noticed she had- and then she began to glare down at my own tray. "Are you taking all that back with us?If you're not, don't throw it away. I'll just eat it later."

"Wait, wasn't Vaughn married to her first?" I asked suddenly. "I'm pretty sure that's what they were arguing about the other day..."

"That's what I've been led to assume," Elli agreed. "It seems as though it's not much of a problem now. At least in Vaughn's mind since I'm not so sure I can say the same for Denny. Of course, he seems to have looked past it as well for the time being. They're both adults, so I doubt it'll come to anything too serious. They aren't the kind of people to fight very often."

"That's good then." Then, taking a nibble of my lettuce, I smiled. "Denny really is a nice guy." After all, it wasn't as if just any man would take another's child as his own, and although we never talked all that much, I knew his heart was most likely in the right place. "I really should congratulate him when we get back."

"How about you and Gray?" she asked. "Do you think things might be getting serious between you two?" I blushed again, but she didn't even seem to notice. "You've been living together for a while now, right?"

"Y-yes," I agreed with a nod. "We haven't talked about it, though... I don't really think we're ready for that yet," I admitted. "I mean... he never talks about his family all that much, and I only just had him meet mine over holidays." To be honest, I wasn't even sure whether or not it had been a good idea to introduce him to my brothers so soon. After all, Mark could be rather overwhelming at times, and Will always seemed to make people uncomfortable. Even when it came to our own mother. "I don't like saying this, but... I don't know if I could even think of marrying him just yet."

"It might not be the most positive way to look at things, but at least you're being realistic about the situation," Elli assured me with a smile. "You know how most people just rush into these things." The implications of what she was saying didn't take long to sink in, but before I could say much of anything in return, she stood up from the table. "We really should be getting back. If Ms. Hart is with Vaughn like I think she is, she'll be back to the office before we are, I'm sure."

"Yes, of-" I paused. "Why would she be with Vaughn?"

"Didn't you know?" she asked, staring back at me with surprise. "They just started dating not too long ago, but I thought you already knew..." When I shook my head, she only sighed. "Well, I'll tell you about it on our way back then."

I never really knew all that much about Ms. Hart's life outside of work, and yet it was somewhat surprising to hear about it so suddenly. Especially when it came from Elli who was more than willing to tell me all about it all the way down to the very last detail. I had to admit, though, it really did make me respect the other woman all the more. But to think she was with Vaughn... It really was nothing less than a shock.

"So are you and Kai the only ones that are... Oh, how do I put this?" After all, with her being so kind to me that day, I didn't want to offend her. "Are you seeing someone, Elli? I know you don't like talking about yourself, but-"

"Oh, I have someone," she said with a laugh. "You can't tell anyone at the office, though. Not even Gray." I agreed, of course, and as she opened the door for us to step back into the office, she took me by the arm and led me down the hall and towards the conference room. She then hustled me into a corner, and when I thought about it later, it was like we were both schoolgirls with a naughty little secret to share. "Okay, I'll tell you, but no one else gets to know about this."

"Who is it?" I whispered. "Is it someone we know?"

"I doubt you would know him," she replied with a giggle. "He's a friend of Ms. Hart's, though," she continued to explain. "He works up at the head office, but he's really not much of a business man if you ask me. He has a good mind for numbers and such, but he's too passionate for a job like that."

"How long have you been seeing him?"

"We've been together for over three years now," she said. "We live in the same neighborhood, so we never have to go into town to see each other. That's why Ms. Hart still doesn't know a thing about it."

"Elli! Where the hell are you?" Having heard the woman's voice, Elli jumped, but although she was quick to make it towards the door, she still looked back at me to give me a little wink just before she disappeared back around the corner. With me following after her, of course. "It's not like you to be late, you know... Did something happen?"

"Oh no," she replied, her voice as sweet and innocent as ever. "Just had some girl talk is all." I nodded weakly, not able to meet my boss's gaze as she had done, and with that, the day went on as normal. At least as normal as it could. After all, it seemed that this was a place in which the most peculiar things could happen.

Something which made me wonder just how much more I didn't know about the place.


	50. Chapter Fifty

**Chapter Fifty**

"Ugh... just shut that damn thing off, will you?" Vaughn did as he was told, and just as soon as it had started, the alarm buzzer stopped again. Not that it made me get out of bed any sooner. "Why the hell do we have to get up anyway?"

"Because we both like making money." I just groaned, rolling back onto my stomach and burying my head under the pillow, but it wasn't long before I jumped to hear the man slam open the door. The worst of it was still to come, though, because it was then that he brought his fingers to his lips. Followed, of course, by the worst earsplitting whistle I'd ever heard.

I didn't even have time to try and lift myself up before I was pushed right back down again. All three of the dogs had jumped onto the bed with Winston happily deciding to slobber all over my head and Roosevelt desperately trying to work his nose between my legs. For God only knows _what_ reason. Adolf was the only one to leave me be, but even he was more than enough trouble just by crawling under the covers next to me where his master had been laying fast asleep not too long before.

"Alright, alright! I'm up, dammit!" After another long whistle, all three animals leapt back down off the be and onto the floor, and without another word from their master, they were out the door. It was just my luck that the worst dog was still in the room with me, though. "You really are an asshole."

Vaughn only chuckled as he finished buttoning up his shirt, black as always, but just as soon as I heard the sound, he was quiet again. Not that I was surprised. After all, it would be a cold day in hell before a guy like him would ever laugh for real. It irritated me to no end, but I'd be damned if I knew how to get through to him. Something that didn't seem like it was ever going to change.

"Take a shower," he ordered, tightening his tie. "You can sleep on the way there if you want."

By the time we found ourselves back at the office for yet another damn day, even after being asleep for two more hours, I was more tired than before. Not that Vaughn seemed to care. When we pulled into the parking lot, he'd deliberately slammed the breaks to park just to wake me up, but he was still smart enough not to admit to it. Instead he blamed it on the rain from the night before and the water getting into the wheel well. Something that, even to a woman who next to nothing about cars aside from their names, sounded like total bull shit to me.

"Ms. Hart, are you not feeling well?" I rolled my eyes, not wanting to deal with even the likes of Elli at the moment as I walked inside the front door, but even though I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with her, she still insisted on following me into my office. "Can I get you anything? I can always run down to the corner and-"

"I'm fine," I deadpanned while glaring down at her. She looked hurt, but as much as I wanted to care, I couldn't seem to make myself feel much of anything. Other than more annoyed maybe. "Just... let me get to work," I growled. "We can talk later."

"Of course." With a slight bow, she was gone, and as soon as the door closed behind her, I just had to sigh. I knew the woman had done nothing wrong, but... for whatever reason, I didn't feel like myself. I felt well enough when we left Vaughn's cabin, other than wanting a few more hours to just lay around, so why was I feeling like complete shit all of a sudden? The day hadn't even started, and I was fighting a headache first thing. Not to mention my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

"Probably catching a damn cold," I muttered to myself as I sat down at my desk. "Either that or I'm allergic to those damn dogs of his." And knowing Vaughn, there was no way he'd ever think of getting rid of them before letting go of me. "That asshole..."

For the next hour or so, though, I was in my element. Signing papers, reading invoices, sending e-mails... it was all very normal aside from the occasional sharp pain across my forehead. Maybe even a little _too_ normal since it was getting harder and harder for me to stay awake. I knew should've been grateful for how quiet it all was, but as I lit another cigarette for myself, I had to admit things were downright dull.

"Ms. Hart?"

"What is it, Elli?" I sighed, tossing the last of that morning's paperwork in the 'out' basket with little interest. Why did I even bother with this job? All it really was was a joke with all the mindless signing and filing, and while I had long since put those days behind me, I had to wonder just what it was about business that made me go to school for four years just to shuffle papers all day, every day. "Is something going on out there?"

"Not... exactly," she replied. However, by the way her gaze refused to meet my own, I knew there was trouble. Not that it really surprised me any even if it'd been quiet the past few days. "It's just that Mrs. Thompson is here," she explained. "Apparently it's a matter of her daughter switching schools or some such. If you ask me, I don't find it very appropriate for family to be here, but it's not my decision whether-"

"Is anyone yelling yet?" I asked, cutting off what promised to be a lecture of some kind. When the woman shook her head, I just leaned back in my chair. "Then I don't think we really have a problem. I will be talking to _Mr._ Thompson later about these unexpected visits, though."

"Of course, Ms. Hart," she agreed. "I'm very sorry for disrupting you." I might've put on a good face while she was in the room, but as soon as Elli shut the door behind her once again, I started feeling restless. Even if none of the boys decided to cause a fuss, I still didn't want a woman like that in my damn building. She didn't belong there. Not while on my turf anyway. "Is everything all right?" A murmured reply. "Have a good day then, ma'am."

Having heard my secretary's false sweet tone as the other went to leave, I couldn't help but peer out from between the slats in the blinds just to see who she was. From what I could see of the woman, she wasn't very impressive, and although I didn't necessarily know why, I still felt relieved to be able to tell myself that.

She was maybe five foot two or even one, and while I only saw her from behind, she didn't seem like she was very well built. Not that I was all surprised after knowing she was a mother. She even looked like one since she was wearing a shapeless dress and her auburn hair was pulled back in a loose and sloppy bun as well. A fashion disaster that vaguely reminded of my teachers from elementary school.

"Not much competition, is she?" I muttered to myself. "I can't figure out why he'd even bother..."

Sure, there was always a good chance she was a real winner back in the day, but looking at her right then, I couldn't really see how she could've been all that different. After all, even if she hadn't had that kid of theirs, she still wouldn't have been anything to brag about. Especially since Vaughn was such a physical man.

Of course, when I thought about it, he never talked about her even before their marriage went south.

"So that was her." I jumped, if only slightly, to hear his voice, but when I looked back at the man in question, his expression was still the same as always. Empty. "I thought I heard her voice," he explained, "but I figured I was imagining things."

"Do you wish you were?" He just stared out the window, and then, without another word, he went to leave again. "Do you always have to walk away like that?'

"I don't know," he replied coldly. "Do you always have to ask such stupid questions?"

Really, when he said it, I was more than a little taken aback, but that feeling quickly became just another irritation. "Just who the hell do you think you are?" I hissed, glaring back at him. "I don't care if you don't want to talk about it, but you don't have to go and be such an ass for no reason."

Vaughn didn't argue with me. His cold peculiar eyes just lingered on me for a moment, and then he walked right out of my office. The only expression of how he felt was to slam the door behind him, but even that was hardly impressive when I wasn't even sure if he was angry with me in the first place. After all, it could have just been an accident on his part for all I knew. I, on the hand, was clearly pissed because as soon as he left, I gave the wall one swift kick.

One that just so happened to leave a hole in the plaster.


	51. Chapter Fifty One

**Chapter Fifty-One**

"This is really depressing..." I sighed then, reaching into the fridge for another beer- my second that night. Even if I didn't like how my life was going, though, I knew there was nothing I could do to change it. At least not until I figured out just what I wanted to do with the rest of it. "So begins my life as a lonely bachelor, huh?"

Really, it wasn't all that different from how I usually lived, but now that Denny had finally gotten married to that woman, I was on my own for good. After all, I couldn't exactly go over to their house every night just because I was bored. At the very least, Alisa wouldn't like it very much.

"This stuff is really awful..." I muttered to myself as I stepped into the bedroom, my bare feet sticking to the wood floor. While I knew I was being an idiot, I was still a little disappointed to see my bed was empty. It was a fact I should've been used to by then, but... somehow I was still annoyed by it. Hadn't I suffered enough already?

Flopping down on the mattress and chugging the last of my beer before letting the bottle fall onto the floor and roll into the bathroom, I just had to sigh again. It really was boring when you lived alone, but there wasn't much I could do. After all this time, the only phone number I even had left was Popuri's, and I wasn't about to call her. I knew it was just plain stubbornness on my part, but I didn't care.

I wasn't calling that woman for anything.

"Why do I care so damn much?" I asked myself. A girl like that shouldn't matter to someone like me... but for whatever reason, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I still remembered how smooth her cream-like skin was against my own tanned body, and no matter how much I tried to forget, I still saw the mischief in those dangerous eyes of hers time and time again. Ones that made me wonder just what I was doing with a woman like her. "That beer was a bad idea."

"That's just because you're drinking it alone." My eyes snapped open as I shot up in my bed, and there, standing over me, was the very person I had been thinking of. "You could always just talk to someone, you know."

"How'd you get in here?"

"You didn't lock the door," Popuri explained as she sat down beside me. By the look of her, I could tell she had just come back from hanging out with her friends since she was in a tight, black minidress and wearing her favorite gold hoops. A look that most women could never pull off without looking like a street walker. "I knocked, but I guess you didn't hear me."

"Got stuck watching the kids again?" I asked. After all, there really wasn't any reason for her to be there aside from that. The way she was smiling down at me, though, I had a good feeling that I was wrong. "What're you really doing here?"

"Are you still mad about us going to Hawaii," she asked, "or is it because of what happened in Rio?"

"It's not that," I insisted even while knowing I was lying through my teeth. Popuri wasn't the kind of girl I could bull shit very easily... but I could at least try. "How's Cheche by the way? Seemed like you two were having a lot of fun down there."

"We were," she agreed with a giggle. "He was just a fling, though."

"Poor guy." He probably had no idea that she was planning on leaving him... and even if he did, knowing what the woman was capable of doing to a man, he'd find out just what he was missing soon enough. That's how it worked for me anyway. "So how long are you planning on staying this time? I don't know about you, but I have to work out tomorrow."

"You're really mad at me, aren't you?" Well, if that wasn't a loaded question. She leaned into me then, giving me a good look down her dress, but I just turned my gaze elsewhere. "Oh, come on, Kai... We agreed on how we were going to do this, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd be picking up guys with me around." Was it really that surprising that I was pissed? Maybe even a little hurt? "I don't care if you have someone else, but I shouldn't have to see them."

"Then you should've said something before," she replied with a smile. "Besides... I came back, didn't I?"

"That's true..." By the time I glanced back at her, Popuri had all but crawled into my lap, and as soon as I took one look at her, I knew just what she after. The only problem was that even though I was still angry with her, my body was more than willing to forgive. "You're worse than any guy I know."

"Don't try and tell me you don't like it," she purred as she hung over me. From where I was sitting, I could clearly see she'd decided not to bother with wearing a bra. Not that I was complaining, of course... even if she wasn't planning on stick around for long. "You haven't had any for a while, right? It's gotta be hard to hold back when you need it that bad..."

"It's easier than you'd think."

Without giving her any warning, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, knocking her over and back onto the mattress. I had to laugh to see the startled expression on her face, but even while laying there like she was, she was still as determined as ever. Not to mention I realized just what a wonderful actress she was.

"You really are a hard man to please," she teased as she lay herself out across my sheets. I tried to ignore her, but when I went to close the bathroom door, it was difficult not to let my eyes drift over her curves and down her long legs. Only to see she was wearing a pair of bright red stilettos. "You know you want it..."

I slammed the door behind me, and after making sure it was locked, I slid down onto the floor. I only glared at the wall in front of me at first, but soon enough I just sighed and then smiled to myself. This girl really was a fine piece of work. The only problem was that I knew just what would happen if I let her have her way with me like she wanted, and although it might be fun, I wasn't sure if it was the kind of fun I was after any more.

Even at my worst, I didn't use people... Not like she did anyway.

"Guess it's time to man up, though, isn't it?" I mumbled quickly to myself. After all, here it was my apartment, and yet there I was, hiding in my own bathroom like some little kid. "Just tell her to get out... It's not that hard, is it?" Maybe that's what I told myself, but that wasn't exactly the case when i opened the door again. Not that I'd really been expecting the woman to be laying out on my bed in nothing but a black G-string and those shoes of hers. "What're you-"

"Not so easy now, is it?" I tried to glare at her, but even though I was annoyed, I knew I'd lost out this time. I could deny it all I wanted, but when it came right down to it, she had me. No matter what I did or said, there was no way for me to say no and actually mean it. "It's not really a bad thing, you know... to enjoy yourself first and talk things over later."

"Only if you're actually going to talk," I reminded her as I leaned against the doorway. "For a therapist, you really don't like to talk things through, do you?"

"Actions often speak louder than words in these situations," Popuri mused with a sly little smile. She turned more towards me then, and I just had to laugh at the way she'd laid herself out for me. Something which earned me a light-hearted giggle from my companion as well. "I have to say, though, I still have yet to meet a man with such a nice visual collection."

My face warmed as soon as she said it, but she only laughed. It was then that I saw it. The _Playboy_ in her hand... the November issue from 1975. "Be careful with those! Do you know how much that cost me?"

"Oh, don't worry," she assured me. "I don't plan on letting anything happen to treasures like these... but I do think you'd be better off if you didn't keep those under the bed."

"They used to be in the closet," I muttered to myself as I looked away, "but then a certain someone had to go and find them."

"I'm surprised a man like you even bothers to hide them in the first place," Popuri mused, flipping to the centerfold of Janet Lupo. "I guess most other girls wouldn't be looking through them, though, would they?"

"No, and they probably wouldn't be laying around like that, either," I agreed with a grin. "If you really wanted me that bad, you should've just said something. You don't have to impress me with those little stories of yours."

It was her turn to blush then, but as always, she was quick to recover. "Well, you know how it is," she began. "I always have to give my brother some kind of explanation... and I can't exactly just tell him I'm going out ballin' or whatever."

"Mind running that by me again?"

"It's nothing." I knew she was only trying to rile me, but apparently, it was time for serious business. At least when it came to Popuri's standards. "So are we going to have some fun or what?"

"Only if you say please," I chuckled, giving her a wink. To be honest, I really should've known better than to tempt her like that... especially since she was just the kind of woman who would do such a thing. Of course, I don't think I really expected for her to start crawling towards me, a wicked smile playing on her lips as she ran her tongue over them.

"Please?"

* * *

"Well, you're in a good mood this morning... I take it you had a date last night?" I stopped humming as soon as I heard Denny come up behind me at the time clock, but when I went to turn around to talk to him, I was at a loss for words. Not because of what he said, though. It was more because of what he looked like. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't get enough sleep last night?" My friend just blinked, but it was more of a rhetorical question than anything. After all, I had a hard time not seeing the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes... "Just trust me on this, you're going to want some coffee before you try to get anything done. A lot of it."

"Is it really that bad?" he asked. I only nodded, but it was all that was really needed. He sighed, running his fingers through his shaggy curls, but then he started to smile. "Chelsea couldn't sleep last night," he explained. "She's been getting sick a lot lately."

"You two didn't screw it up already, did you?" It wasn't like they could afford something like that... at least not so soon after the divorce and the wedding. "You haven't adopted Alisa yet, right? If worse comes to worse, you could always hit Vaughn up for alimony, you know..." Denny just glared at me as if I'd just suggested he break into the man's house and take what he could. "Hey, all I'm doing is trying to help."

"Maybe it'd be better if you didn't... Besides, she can't be pregnant. It's not possible." Well, I wasn't so sure about that. Even if the two weren't getting busy as much as I figured they should've been, I still had a good feeling that at least something was being done in that house, and that left a lot of possibilities. Too bad it was just one of those things he'd have to learn on his own. "Anyway, I was asking about you. You had a date last night, didn't you, so who was it?"

"Popuri," I replied with a shrug. "She just decided to come over."

The woman's name was more than enough to startle him. As soon as I said it, though, he frowned and shook his head. "You can't be serious, Kai... I thought you were over her, and now you're just going to take her back? Didn't she cheat on you?"

"It's not like I planned on her coming over," I tried to explain. "As far as I knew, she wasn't even back yet." Not that I would've had any way to know, of course, but we both knew that much without me having to say it. "If it's any consolation, though, I tried to fight her off."

"Yeah, right... How'd you manage that?" he challenged. "Throw her on the bed before you-"

"Hey, you two!" We both snapped back around to see Grace storming in from the hall with her hair a mess and run in her nylons, but while my friend bowed his head and stood back towards the clock, I just grinned. "What the hell do you think I'm paying you for? Just to stand around with your heads up your asses?"

"Oh, come on, Gracie..." I teased with a weak chuckle. "We just came in."

"Like I give a damn," she hissed, pushing us out of the way of the coffee maker. "Now both of you get back to those offices of yours before I tell you to pack your shit and get the hell out of here for good. Do you understand me, Mr. Makani? Mr. Thompson?"

"Of course," I agreed. Not wanting to risk any more than he had, Denny was out of there like a shot, but I chose to stick around. I wasn't exactly planning on staying for too long, though, but I 'd never been one to run away from her. After all, I knew that was the one thing that would make things even worse for the both of us. "Seems like everyone had a rough night, huh?"

"Shut the hell up," the woman growled, glaring down at me. "And get your ass back to work like I told you. I don't have time for any of your shit."

After hearing the way her voice had dropped to a threatening low, I knew better than to try and stick around, and so I quickly made my way back into the hall. Maybe it was just because I hadn't heard much of anything going on around the building, but either way, there was no way around the fact we had a lot of tension in the place. Quiet... but there all the same. Every office I passed by from Vaughn's to Denny's and all the way to my own, I could feel it, and I knew it was only a matter of time before one of us lost it.

I just hoped it wouldn't be me.


	52. Chapter Fifty Two

**Chapter Fifty-Two**

"Denny, I'm sorry… You know I'm sorry, don't you?" I only shook my head even while knowing that she couldn't see me through the bedroom door. My hand was still holding on tight to the knob, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to open it just yet. What I was sure of, though, was that this was exactly why Vaughn put the lock in backwards. "Denny, please let me out."

"I… I can't," I replied quietly. "I won't let you out until you calm down." It was then that she started beating on the wall. "Chelsea!" The pounding stopped. "Please… you need to calm down."

"But I _am_ calm!" Hearing her voice, I couldn't help but wince, but it wasn't because of the sound of her voice that I did. It was because I was hurt. I had no way to help her as long as I didn't know what was really wrong. "It's your fault! You're the reason I can't go to sleep at night! It's all your fault!"

"Chelsea, I-"

"Mr. Denny?" Everything went silent when I heard Alisa speak. She was standing just behind me, holding on tightly to the doll from her father, and although she didn't say as much, her wide eyes told me she was scared. Not that I could blame her since- even as grown man- I was feeling more or less the exact same way. "Is Mama mad at you again?" she asked. "You're not gonna leave, are you?"

"No, I'm not going to leave," I assured her. Sure, things were getting hard, but… that wasn't all that surprising. Not really. "I'm staying right here with you and-"

"Stop lying to her!" The girl and I both jumped to hear her mother begin pounding on the bedroom door and rattling the knob. "You don't mean it! You can't promise her something like that!"

"Yes, I can." Turning back to the small child behind me, I knelt down and put my hands on her tiny shoulders and tried my best to smile. I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her to take in all of what was happening. "I'm not going to go anywhere," I whispered, "but right now… I need you to go back to bed. Okay?" She nodded. "Okay. I'm going to shut your door, so don't come out until I come and tuck you in."

It was only after I had put Alisa back to bed that I returned to talk to the woman still beating on the wall. She'd been screaming the whole time, but I heard only half of what was actually said. Most of which had already been said before. She was repeating herself… over and over and over again... telling me that I was a liar. Among other things.

"Chelsea… I'm going to unlock the door," I told her. Even when I did, though, she still continued to slam her fists. That was until I opened it for her. "Chelsea, please-"

It was too late. As soon as I went to walk into the room to try and calm her down, one of her fists slammed into my head- just above my left eye. I knew it was an accident on my part, but when it happened, she immediately started to apologize. "Denny… are you alright? Did I hit you? What'd I do? I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," I assured her despite feeling the blood trickling down the side of my face. It was a rather small nick, but I knew it was most likely her wedding ring that did it. A fact that I knew would only make things worse if she found out about it. "I'm sorry I locked you in there," I began once more. "I shouldn't have done it."

But I didn't know what else to do.

"No… no, it's alright," she insisted. She sighed then, her breath shaking while she did so, but soon enough she was trying to smile. For whatever reason, it was the last thing I wanted her to do. "I'm sorry. I'm-"

"It's okay if you want to cry." She just gazed up at me at first, but while she was trying to dry her face, I could still see the stains that were left on her cheeks from her tears. And when she realized that there was no way for her to hide them, her eyes started to well up again. "It's okay… Really, it's okay." Wrapping my arms around her, I held her tightly against me, but it wasn't long before she pushed me away. "What is it?"

"I- You need to go to bed." I didn't know what else to do, and so I let her go. That was apparently the wrong thing to do, though, because soon enough she seemed ready to rage yet again. "What's wrong with you? Can't you even talk to me?"

"I am talking to you, Chelsea." She just shook her head, and I knew there'd be no reasoning with her. At least not that night. "You go on ahead… I'm going to make sure Alisa's asleep. I'll… I'll be there in a minute."

Stepping bad into the little girl's room, I knew I'd never be able to sleep in that bed until I figured out just what was going on in my wife's head. However, that really didn't matter when I had her daughter to worry about, and seeing her laying in her own bed with her eyes still open that feeling only grew. I just wished I could do more for her.

"Are you and Mama still fighting?" she asked. Her voice cracked while she spoke, but just like her mother, she refused to let me see her cry. "You can sleep here… if you want to."

"I think I'd like that," I agreed with a soft sigh and a smile. "Thank you, Alisa…"

* * *

"You look even worse today, man." Although I tried my best to glare at him, Kai just shook his head and sighed. "You can't go to work looking like that, or everyone's going to want to know what happened. And you're not that great at lying, you know."

"I don't think they'd care," I muttered as I ripped open the door to his car. "I don't even know what happened last night."

"Easy there," he reminded me. "We're still in front of the school… and I'm pretty sure you don't want those people thinking you did that to yourself." I knew he was right, but I still thought it was better than them thinking it was done by the girl's mother. "That Alisa is really something, though."

"She really is." After all, most kids wouldn't want to share their bed with their stepfather to protect him… and from her own mother no less. "I can't believe she even wanted to go to go to school. I told her she could stay home if she wanted to, but-"

"Probably didn't want to wuss out in front of you," my friend chuckled, pulling out onto the street. "Anyway, do you know where our little bridezilla ran off to? She wasn't at the house this morning, right?"

"No, she wasn't." I had a good idea of where to look, of course, but the real question was if I should go after her knowing how upset she must've been. "I really wish I knew what happened with her, but she just blew up on me all of a sudden."

"Well… what'd you say to her?" Kai asked while glancing back towards me and raising an eyebrow. "I mean… most women wouldn't go off the deep end for no reason, right? She isn't that kind of woman… or is she?" I wasn't even sure, but I just kept quiet. "Denny? Are you listening to me?"

"I heard you," I assured him, still staring out the window the same as always. It was relaxing, really, the way I could just watch the world pass by, but I knew it couldn't last for long. "I asked her," I explained. "I asked her about… well, I asked her if maybe she was pregnant."

"Ouch."

"How was I supposed to know she'd start yelling at me like that?" After all, it seemed like an innocent enough question at the time, and if I'd known how wrong I was beforehand, I never would've bothered asking in the first place. Now I was left with an even more serious problem. "She didn't even tell me anything about it…"

"Wait. So is she or isn't she?" It would figure that Kai would have a one-track mind only when it came to these kind of things. It was just too bad I didn't have the patience for him that morning. "Well?"

"I don't know!" I snapped back, feeling my face start to warm. "Alright? I don't know."

"Hey. Relax, will you? I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, but you've gotta admit, it sure sounds like something's going on." I sighed again before taking another deep breath. "I'm not saying there's anything wrong _with_ her, but… you guys really can't hold it together for long if you're already like this two months into this thing. I mean, I don't care if we have to go to work early to get Alisa to school or whatever, but-"

"Just take me to the docks," I muttered. Closing my eyes, I could see her just like I did back when I didn't know what her name was or even why she was there in the first place. Knowing what little I did about her now, I almost had to smile to think that there was a good chance she was wearing the same dress that she always did. The one that she wore just because it happened to be on the top of the laundry pile. "Can you tell Grace I'm taking a sick day? I was just going to come in late, but-"

"Don't worry about it," Kai said with a grin. "I'll take care of it. You have enough on your mind without worrying about her." I hadn't been all that surprised when he agreed to do it, but what did surprise me was the way he patted me on the back. "You'll be alright… but don't take her home until you find out what's going on in that head of hers. I don't want Aja telling me her boyfriend had to come to your place because of some domestic dispute."

Really, I was fine with talking to her. After all, even if we didn't always say very much, we still talked. The only problem was what we needed to talk about, and knowing that, I wasn't so sure how I was supposed to handle what was going on. Not that I had any idea to begin with.

"Chelsea?" She looked back at me, but she didn't seem to be any different than she already was. Other than how she wasn't wearing any make-up. Something that I didn't even know she was before I woke up with her every morning. "You didn't have to leave the house, you know."

"I just didn't want to make Alisa upset," she explained. "It's bad enough that I made Vaughn leave know without making you sleep in her room."

"Leaving the house isn't going to make her feel any better," I reminded her. The woman just bowed her head when she heard me say it, and I didn't hesitate to put my arms around her. "You forget your coat, too… You know it's winter, right?"

"Do you want mine?" She shook her head, but I could still feel her shaking. When I went to take off my coat for her, though, she pulled it right back onto me. "You've been out here for a long time. You're going to get sick if we don't get you warmed up soon."

"What about you?" I just bit back a sigh and chuckled, kissing the top of her head before taking off my coat and wrapping it around her shoulders. Then she looked up. "I really got you, didn't I? I'm so sorry. I should've known better."

"About what exactly?" It was hardly subtle, but that wasn't saying much when it came to me. Unfortunately for the both of us, there didn't seem to be much of an option. "If you're worried about me getting mad… I'm not going anywhere. I just want to know what's wrong."

"Would you believe me if I said I don't know?"

"Maybe… I hate to say it, but I think you know what's wrong…" She just didn't want to tell me what it was. "I don't like fighting. You know that…" Chelsea nodded weakly, and for it me, it was almost a relief. Almost, but not quite. "That's why I want to know because I don't want to have to fight about it later, and you know that's what's going to happen if we don't take care of this."

"There's something wrong with me," she murmured. "Vaughn always told me there was a problem, but I wouldn't go to the doctor because I didn't want them to tell me there was something wrong. I don't want Alisa to have to go through any of that. I could never forgive myself if-"

"Then why don't you go?" After all, by the sounds of it, she had every reason to see someone. At least as far as I could tell… but maybe that was just my own sense of self-preservation finally settling in. When I thought it over, though, I still felt that maybe it wasn't a bad way to think about the whole thing. "Things will just get worse if we don't take care of whatever it is now."

"Can you go with me?" she asked, pulling my coat tighter around herself. "I don't want to go by myself. I always get so nervous when it comes to these things…" So did that mean she had to go before? "Can we go home now, Denny? Please?"

But the questions would have to wait.


	53. Chapter Fifty Three

**Chapter Fifty-Three**

"It... broke?" I only nodded with my back turned to the woman still sitting on the bed behind me. I could tell by the sound of her voice that Claire was ready to start blaming herself for what happened, but I didn't have the patience for dealing with her self-confidence issues at the moment. Not when I had to think about what could happen in the next nine months if things went down the way I was thinking they were going to... For me, it came down to a lot more than just some crying and wailing because the only thing I could see were the dollars and cents start to roll in front of my eyes. "Gray?"

"The damn thing broke, okay? I don't know how the hell it happened, but it did. Just give me a minute, will you you?" I swore again and ran my fingers through my hair before picking myself off the mattress and reaching for my jeans. "Knew I shouldn't have trusted it..."

Claire didn't say anything at first, not even to calm me down, but when I finally looked at her, I could tell she wanted to. The only thing I wanted was for her to leave me the hell alone for a while. I just hoped she'd take the hint and wait until I was cooled off before she started asking any more questions.

"Are you leaving?"

"Just going to the store," I muttered as I pulled on a shirt. "You want me to pick you up anything?" She only sat there with the blankets held up over her chest. "I said, 'Do you want me to pick anything while I'm at the store?'"

"Gray." I only grunted in reply, not even bothering to look up as I shoved my foot into my boot, but soon enough I felt Claire's tiny hand take a hold of my arm. "You know how I feel about this. If it broke and I'm-"

"Yeah, I know, you're keeping it." Right when I said it, I felt something warm and fuzzy stuffed in the toe of my other boot. Without even bothering to look to see what it was, I reached into it and pulled out the small cat that had fallen asleep there. "Just like every other damn thing we have around here. That's how it is, isn't it?"

"Is that how it is with me, too?" she asked. I whipped my head back around to meet her gaze dead on, but when I did, I saw there were tears in her eyes. She was crying... "Am I just here like everything else?"

"No, it's not like that," I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair again. "Come on, Claire... don't cry over something like this. You know I'm not mad." She might have nodded, but the truth was she was still crying just like she was before. I knew the best thing for me to do was to hold her or whatever, but I just stood there like a dumb ass. "It's just..."

"Yes, I know," she agreed, wiping away her tears. Then, after taking a deep and shaky breath, she made herself give me a little smile. "I think I'm going to go and take a shower."

She didn't even wait for an answer from me before she went and disappeared into the bathroom. When she was gone, though, I only sighed. "Damn woman... getting me all pissed over nothing," I muttered angrily, forcing my foot down into my boot at last. "She knows I can't stand it." Not that I was really blaming her, of course, since it wasn't her fault. At least not entirely. "What the hell am I supposed to do, though?'

I hadn't even gotten around to asking her to marry me yet.

Leaving her alone for a while probably wasn't the best thing for me to do, but I knew I needed to get away to get my head back on straight. I wouldn't be gone for very long, just a drive around the neighborhood, and then I'd be right back to talk about a few things. If I was lucky, though, I might be able to avoid it. After all, Claire hated talking about it as much as I did, so there was a good chance I'd be right.

Feeling the leather of the steering wheel against my hand, I relaxed almost immediately. I always felt better as soon as I got into the truck and put some asphalt under my tires. It wasn't like anything else I had ever done in my life, and right then, it was just the thing I needed.

To be honest, I just about forgot to stop at the store before heading back, but after I got there, I had a feeling I was doing something wrong. I wouldn't go and buy the stuff when Claire told me not to. There was still the question of what I should buy, and it all came down to me not wanting to be a total ass. One walk through the small corner store, though, and I decided against getting anything. The only reason I even bothered was because of the damn mess up from that morning, but I figured it wouldn't matter all that much. Knowing her, she'd forgive me even if I didn't bring anything home with me for her.

The only question was whether I could forgive myself for making the little woman cry.

The house was quiet when I finally got back. Claire was usually waiting for me in the kitchen if I went out, but she was no where in sight. The only one waiting for me was the small ball of fluff I'd brought home for her, and I'd had just about enough of the damn thing as it was.

"Pip, get out of my way, will ya?" I nudged him aside with the toe of my boot, but he just started to play with my laces. "Fucking hell," I sighed, picking him up by the scruff of his neck. "You never know when to quit, do you?"

"Gray, are you home?" Claire came out from the bedroom in her favorite turtleneck and a pair of jeans, but I had to smile to see there was still a towel wrapped around her head. "There was a phone call while you were out."

"Yeah? Who was it?"

"Someone called Saibara," she explained, stumbling over the pronunciation of the name as she reached out for the kitten. My eyes just widened. "He sounded like an older man... but he said he really needed to talk to you about something."

I didn't even bother to say anything to her while she was continuing to talk to me. I was too busy just trying to keep my temper under control, and thankfully, I was able to do it even if it was still clear that I was annoyed at the very least. Especially when I almost ripped the phone right off the wall and stabbed at the number pad. "Gramps, what the hell are you calling here for?" I hissed, doing my best to keep my voice down. "I told you to call me at work if you needed to talk to me that damn bad."

"Still as disrespectful as you ever were." I felt my whole body go rigid to hear his voice, but I didn't want Claire to see me so uneasy. It wasn't going to be easy, though. "And who's that woman you've got over there?"

"None of your business," I snapped back. "Now, are you gonna tell me why you're calling me, or am I going to have to hang up on you?"

"Give the damn phone to that girl," he muttered. "A hell of a lot easier to talk to her than it is you."

"Just tell me what you want," I demanded, grinding my teeth together. "I don't have all day."

"Gray?" Claire tugged gently on my sleeve, her eyes looking up at me in confusion, but when I looked down at her, I was more irritated than anything else. "Is something wrong? Who is it?"

"Your father is back here," my grandfather explained. "He's staying with me for now, but he keeps asking me about you." I'd been trying to keep the young woman from hearing him, but for a moment, I thought it may have been too late. If she heard him, I would need to explain, and that was something I wasn't so sure I could do. "Answer me, will you?"

"Is that your grandfather?"

"Can both of you just shut up for a minute?" I set the phone down and walked away, cursing under my breath and heading back into the bedroom to calm myself back down all over again. When I came back, though, Claire was on the phone. "What are you dong?"

Before I could take it back from her, she hung up, and then she turned to look back at me. She seemed so damn proud of herself, too, which was really made me nervous in the end. "Well, that was pleasant," she mused with a smile. "His name is a little unusual, but he seems nice enough to me."

If only she knew.

"What'd you say to him?" I asked, biting back my anger as best I could. She had no idea what she was doing when it came to talking to someone like Gramps. I could only guess at what kind of shit he would put me through just by knowing she was there at all... "Wait, what did he say to you?"

"Just that he wanted to have us over for Easter," she replied with the smile still on her face. "He's your only family, isn't he?" She didn't. "You shouldn't be so hard on him, you know." She wouldn't. "He was just asking if we'd like to see him at Easter." She did. "I hope you don't mind that I said yes."

"Mind telling me why?" I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You've never even met him!"

"Which is why I think this would be the perfect opportunity for us to meet," she assured me. It was then that her smile disappeared, and even as a grown man, I was still a little nervous to have her look so determined. A look I had learned early on meant serious business when it came from a woman like her. "I don't see why I shouldn't meet him when you've met my family."

"But why Easter of all damn times?" I asked with another heavy sigh. I had never really been the religious type, so celebrating a holiday for something I didn't even believe in seemed pointless to me. After all, even as a kid, I knew my mother was, and look what good it did her. "It's just going to be us and him."

"That's fine with me. It might make it easier for me to get to know him." With that, I knew there'd be no arguing with her any further. She'd made up her mind, and when that happened, nothing I could do or say would make her change it. Thinking about it that way made me realize that she was even more stubborn than me. "As for earlier... let's just wait and see what happens. After all, there's no guarantee that I'm going to be pregnant with only one try."

"I wasn't trying," I reminded her bitterly, feeling my face heat up at just the thought of it. "The damn thing just broke..."

"Gray." Claire's voice was firm as she said it, and I knew even without looking at her that she wasn't happy with me. When I did look up, though, her eyes were narrowed, and I swore she was going to throw a fit at any minute. Something I had never seen her do before and wasn't so sure I wanted to. "I _know_ you know the difference between what sex feels like with or without a condom, so don't even try that with me."

That just about did it for me. One more word out of her mouth like that, and I knew I'd lose it on her. I might not hit her or even threaten to, but I could still feel one hell of a roar burning up my throat. "And here I thought you were so damn innocent."

"Being innocent isn't the same as being stupid!" she shot right back. "Now, _please._ I don't want to argue. We were both just fine when you came back here, so..." She sighed and ran her own fingers through her bangs before blowing them out of her face again. A sight that, despite me still being pissed off, just about made me crack a smile and forget the whole thing had ever happened at all. "Anyway, we won't be going to see your grandfather for two months yet, so there's no reason to get all upset. Besides, I'm sure things will turn out just fine even when we do go see him."

I damn well hoped so.


	54. Chapter Fifty Four

**Chapter Fifty-Four**

"Looks like we're going to be working late again," I sighed as I studied the screen in front of me. Once again, the numbers weren't adding up quite right, and while I knew it was most likely just another decimal error, I also knew that the perfectionist in me would insist I double-check each and every transaction to be absolutely sure of what went wrong. "Why does this keep happening?"

"Probably because you have too much on your mind." I looked back over my shoulder to find Elli standing just behind me, a soft smile on her face, and as I took the files from her hand, her smile only grew. "You know, I'm always around the corner if you want to talk."

"Thank you, Elli, but I'm alright," I assured her. "There's just only so much I can seem to get done in one day."

"Isn't that the truth," she agreed with a laugh. "You just be sure not to work too hard, okay? I don't want to hear you got yourself sick by worrying about everything that goes on here." She stood there for a moment longer, but even though I wanted to say more, I couldn't quite bring myself to. After all, it was rather silly. Things that shouldn't matter to me just yet were slowly starting to make their way into my thoughts. Things that I wouldn't dare say aloud to anyone... not even myself when I was alone. A fact which made me all the more anxious. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Claire."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. See you tomorrow." I blushed and scolded myself as she left, but she said nothing of my blunder. I still closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself, of course, but soon enough I got back to work. However, I found it rather hard to concentrate which was hard enough for me as it was. After all, while I knew Gray most likely had enough of his own work to do without having to worry about mine, I could still feel a headache beginning to take hold. It just made things all the more difficult for me... especially with everything else I had on my mind that day.

Children had never caught my attention, really. Even when I was a little girl, I had no interest in baby dolls or my cousins when they were too small for one to play with. As a teenager, I grew to almost hate them all together. Of course, that was only because at that time, I figured a baby only meant weight gain and stretch marks, and I wasn't about to have any of that. For the past few years or so, though, children weren't so much as a passing thought.

That was until the condom broke, and I first realized what a serious possibility that having children would be.

Suddenly, they were all I could think of. The idea of being a mother was quickly starting to become an appealing one, but I knew there was no way it would happen. Not to someone like me. After all, there were so many things that could go wrong because of who I was, what I had gone through, and how I still was. It was impossible as far as I could tell... and yet, for whatever reason, I was hoping that maybe- one day- it could actually be real.

At the moment, though, I had work to finish, and once that was taken care of, I still didn't let myself dwell on the thought. There was so much I needed to do first that it was silly for me to even consider the possibility. I needed to wait. I had to wait. If I didn't wait, then-

"Claire?" I almost jumped right out of my seat which was not all that surprising in itself since it happened more often that I would like. Of course I knew it was Gray, but that only made it worse. "You ready to get out of here?"

"I don't see why not," I replied, smiling up at him. "Do you want to go somewhere for dinner?"

He only stared at me for a while, but soon he just gave me a small smile and ruffled my bangs. No doubt because he hadn't gotten a chance to eat out since before the holidays. "Sure," he agreed. "Where'd you want to go?"

"Well... I'm not really sure," I admitted with a nervous laugh. I could tell he wanted to laugh as well, but being the man that he was, he only chuckled to himself before ruffling my bangs once again. "Maybe I'll think of something on the way home," I continued as I went to reach for my coat in his other hand. "To be honest, I don't really feel like eating... but I'll figure something out."

The drive home was long, and there was more than one time that I almost fell asleep while riding in the truck beside him. The new truck was a real beauty as far as I could tell, and it drove like a dream. It wasn't Gray's taste, really, but it was still more like him than what we found in the driveway when we got to the house. "What the hell?" A white Lexus... one that looked very familiar although I couldn't quite tell what it was about it that I knew. "Who the fuck would have a Lexus around _here?"_

Then I realized it.

"It must be Mark," I said, trying to keep in my excitement as best I could. "William gave him one for his birthday a few years ago," I explained, blushing when my gaze met his. "I wonder why he's here, though..."

"That's exactly what I'm going to find out." Before I could even try to calm him down, Gray was out of the truck and storming up to the house. A sight which managed to irritate even a woman like me.

"I don't know what we're going to do about that temper of his," I sighed while shaking my head and jumping out the passenger side door. "It's not like Mark broke in or anything... and he knows not to call me at work." While I was busy trying to talk myself back down again, I could hear the two men arguing, but they were a lot quieter than I thought they would be. "Okay. What's going on around here?"

"Wow, Claire, you sound awfully serious." Although I had come into the house wanting to keep the two from possibly yelling back and forth, I couldn't help but smile to see my brother standing there. He was more tan than he was a month before, and while he was grinning at me, I had to wonder if it was because of his tan or whether he had bleached his teeth that they looked so white. "What? No hugs?"

"Hey." We both looked back to where Gray had been standing, his arms crossed over his chest, and I couldn't keep myself from convincing to have him glare at me in such a way. "I asked you why the hell you were here."

"I was going to tell you," Mark assured him with an easy smile. "Will's got some problems back in New York right now," he explained, being his usual self and not wasting any time in doing so. "The media's all over the place over there, so I came here to lay low for a while."

"In a damn Lexus?"

"Wait, what happened to William?" I asked, setting my purse on the kitchen counter. I was trying to keep calm, but there still was a sinking feeling in my chest. Being as my older brother was never in any trouble, I felt I had every reason to be worried, and I was more than certain I would have to find out for sure that he would be okay in the end without me being there for him. "Is he alright?" I continued. "Does he need any help?"

"Don't worry about it," Mark insisted, waving off my concerns. "You know was as well as I do that he can take care of himself. He actually sent me back here because he didn't want me getting involved." Well, that certainly was something William would do which meant I could only nod in understanding. "Right. Anyway... is it okay if I stay here for a while? I'd stay with Mom, but she's being a bitch like always."

"Why not have that brother of yours set you up in one of those fancy hotels or something then?" Gray grumbled, still glaring at the two of us. "And I don't want to hear a word from you until I finish," he warned, pointing at me before turning his attention back to my younger brother. "I know you want to stay here, but we don't have enough room for you here. I bought this place for me, and it's hard enough having two people and these cats around."

"It's not like I'm asking for the bed or anything this time," Mark assured him. "I'll be on the couch and keep my stuff in the car. I have stuff to do at night, too, so it'll be like I'm not even here most of the time."

Gray studied him for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he thought it all over, but it was only when he looked at me that he finally sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Something that by that time I knew meant he was ready to give in. "Fine. You can stay here... but you better be outta here by the end of February," he warned. "I don't want you staying here longer than you have to. You hear me?"

"Yes, sir." My brother laughed to see the man make a face to be addressed as such, but he went even further by giving him a little hug. "You really are a good guy, you know that?" I waited for Gray to snap back at him, but to my surprise, I saw him smile just a bit. Something that caught Mark off guard as well. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just fine," he agreed, picking up his coat again. "Because as far as I see it, you owe us dinner, and I'm getting myself a damn steak."


	55. Chapter Fifty Five

**Chapter Fifty-Five**

"So you did what exactly?' I smiled and lit myself a cigarette as the woman sitting at the desk in front of me stared with her cold blue eyes. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell, but she knew better than to say anything about it. "You do know you're in some serious trouble here, don't you?"

"Not with you I'm not," I replied with a shrug. "Besides, I know they're not going to do anything with me. They might send me to anger management, but I doubt it. That shit costs more money than that plaster job we did over there, and you know that as well as I do they aren't going to bother spending their money with no body getting hurt over it."

"Grace, I don't think you get it," she continued, her voice low and vaguely threatening. "That office of yours is on some thin ice, and I'm not going to be able to bail you out of this one."

"Nami, I've known you for years," I said. "If there's one thing you're good at it's fixing other people's problems. Isn't that what got you here in the first place?" After all, a person didn't become the head supervisor of a corporate city branch just by working hard and punching the clock at the beginning and end of every day. Something we both learned although it was in very different ways. "My people are doing just fine at what they do."

"That's the problem," she explained. "'Just fine' isn't cutting it any more. They want the best they can get."

I tried my best to look calm and relaxed, but I still felt a sinking feeling take a hold in my chest. Nami might've been hard to read at times, but when she was serious about something, she told you what she meant straight up. She left no questions, gave no assurances, and said no apologies... which worried me even more.

"So what would you suggest we to do then?" I asked. "They're already working forty hours a week- if not more, and the building's too small for us to add any new offices. Not like this big ol' skyscraper you guys are sitting in."

"Do you really want to know what I think?" The way she said it caught my attention right off the bat, but it was what she said next that made me realize just how tight the noose had gotten. "If I were you, I'd let the people you have working now go and hire on some new people."

"Let 'em go?" I just sat there for a minute, my lips pressed together in a firm line as I thought, but in the end, I couldn't think of what to say. It wasn't like the thought had even occurred to me. It was just too damn sudden. "Mind telling me why I should?" After all, they were all doing what they were asked. "I can't just fire people without telling them why."

"It never seemed to bother you before," she replied cooly. I only glared at the woman and asked myself how the hell she got away with talking to me like that. She was always quick-witted, but even if she was higher up than me, she still didn't look any better. Especially not when she had that deep red hair and was wearing a red vest and navy blue slacks. No doubt because she thought they were black when she put them on that morning. "They aren't moving with the times, Grace. I've supervised them myself when you were gone, and half of them barely even know how to use a computer."

"They known enough to do the job," I argued, standing up sharply from my chair. "Besides, we have to keep all that shit in writing, too, and every damn one of them in that office can add and subtract without so much as looking at a calculator."

"And your point is?"

"My point is that's a hell of a lot more than most of these kids you're telling me I need to hire can do," I snapped back. "Maybe we're behind the times, but we're doing out work the way it's supposed to be done. Through good honest work instead of just punching some god damn computer keys."

"Well, if you don't bring in some new people soon, I'd say you've got until next January before you're going to have to update that resumé of yours," she replied. "Because the way things are going, Grace, those people of yours aren't going to be the only ones looking for a new place to work."

-/-

By the time I got myself back to the office, it was just about time for me to leave. If dealing with Nami hadn't been bad enough, sitting in front of a room of my superiors had been even worse, and about the last thing I wanted to do afterwards was go back to work. Especially when I knew it wouldn't really make much of a difference in the end with me being marked as the next opening in management.

"Ms. Hart? Is everything alright?" I looked down from the clock expecting to see Elli, but instead I found it was Claire who was looking up at me. When she saw my face, I knew it was too late, so I didn't bother to try and change my expression. I just continued to stare. "You look tired."

"That's because I _feel_ tired." She winced to hear me say it so harshly, but just like that man of hers, I didn't apologize. I did feel my stomach turn itself into a knot, though. "And if you want to know the truth, I'm about damn ready to start blowing chunks if I don't get the hell out of here soon."

"Shouldn't you be going home then?" How many years had it been since she started working here? Four... no, five years ago? When I thought about it, I hired her on the same day as Gray... "Ms. Hart?'

"Yeah... I probably should." But if I took the rest of the day off, then they might just decide they should get rid of me sooner. "I really need to stick around today, though. I'm sure you know how it is." After all, she was almost always working overtime to keep up with the amount of work that was pushed on her day after day. When was the last time she asked for an actual vacation anyway? "So how are things going with you?"

The young woman blinked as her lips parted slightly, but she didn't say anything. I couldn't really blame her since I was surprised myself that I even asked. "Oh, well... I guess things are fine. There's a lot for me to think about for me right now, but... I'll manage."

"I take it you wanted to see me about something then?" I asked after an awkward silence. She nodded.

"Yes, I did actually," she agreed. "I was just wondering if Gray and I could have the Thursday and Monday before and after Easter off?"

"Sure," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. Claire all but started to glow she was so damn happy to get my approval, and it was all I could do to keep myself from laughing at her. "You two running away to get married or something?" Her face flushed immediately, but before she could give me an answer, she looked back at the door behind her. I followed her gaze to find Vaughn standing at the door, and even I had to admit he was more than a little intimidating the way he was glaring back at me. "You want something, too?"

"Can you leave us alone." Neither of us mistook the demand as a question, and no sooner had he said then she was gone. As soon as the young woman left, though, I had to look away, but my eyes fell right on the plastered hole in the wall. Something that I had done because of him. "So are you going to tell me when you plan on coming back to the house?"

"I'll go back when I'm damn happy to." I really didn't want to go back to my own house, let alone his, but I had to admit I'd been doing everything I could do not to let myself think about it. I just put it out of my mind. "Why do you care anyway? It's not like you ever did before."

"Then how about you tell me what that meeting of yours was about?" My body stiffened with my hands clenching them into tight fists, but he didn't back down. He just got even more stubborn. "What are they planning on doing around here?" Why was he asking me about this, and better yet, how did he know where I was when I didn't tell anyone besides Elli? "You know what's going on, so tell me what's going to happen."

"I have nothing I need to say to you." Even if I wanted to tell him, I was still his boss, and as such, I knew there would be some things I couldn't say to him. "You want to talk to me? Fine. Talk to me about what's on _your_ mind. Not mine."

Vaughn stood there for a moment, but as always he didn't say a damn word, and as usual, I didn't know what he was thinking. Before he could leave, I pushed past him. I didn't care what he thought of me... because I was done with caring. I had enough on my mind without wondering what to do about him or anyone else there.

What I needed to know was how to survive.


	56. Chapter Fifty Six

**Chapter Fifty-Six**

"Mm... are you leaving already?" I felt the gentle pull of a woman's hand on my sleeve, but I just chuckled and straightened my tie. "Can't you stay here for today?"

"I would if I could, Poppy," I assured her, grinning as I looked down on her to see her disgruntled face to have me call her such a thing, "but I really need to go. I've got an important meeting." Sure, it was only to discuss how ell our business was doing in the way of sales. "Besides, unlike you, I don't get to make my own appointments."

"Well, you sure know how to keep them," she agreed and draped her arms around my waist. I glanced back at her with a raised brow, unsure of what she was even doing, but as soon as I felt her nimble fingers slide under my waist band, I had a good idea of what she was up to. "Just remember about ours when you get back."

-/-

Even if my life at home was pleasant enough, as soon as I went to pick up Denny, it was far back in my mind. After all, I couldn't very well think about my girl at home when his wife was knocking him all around. Not that she even tried to hit him after the first time, of course, but she was still breaking the guy's heart.

I didn't even want to think about how the poor kid was handling it.

Alisa never said a word to either of us, so we had no way of telling whether any of this had happened before. Even when she'd get in the car with him, she'd just smile shyly up and me sit down. Nothing else, and I could only guess from then on what was going through her pretty little head. Something that got to me more than even my friend getting a punch in the face... which was saying a lot.

The three of us would always drive in silence, but whenever I tried to get him to talk, Denny would just glare at me. Like he honestly thought it was all my fault. We both knew I had nothing to do with it, of course, but I really couldn't blame him for taking his frustration out on me. I did the same to him more than once after having some woman's troubles of my own. Mostly over the past year, but nonetheless...

"So did she go to the doctor yet?" I asked as he stopped back into the car. He just sighed, letting his head rest against the window, but he didn't say anything. "You know you can still can talk to me, right?"

"Can't you just talk about something else?" he sighed again. "I don't want... I just can't right now. Okay?" Then, just like a little boy, he huddled into himself in his seat and closed his eyes. He looked so small with his winter coat almost swallowing him whole, and I soon realized he was sleeping. Not that I could blame him since he didn't sleep all that much at home.

I actually felt sorry for waking him up to go to work, but I hoped it would at least get his mind off things if only a little. His job had always been too easy for him, though, so I know it wouldn't be long before his thoughts would drift back home. Back to the woman he apparently married much too soon.

"Since when do you drink coffee?"

"Well, Grace, if you really want to know, this isn't for me. It's for a certain friend of mine who's trying a little too hard these days." She didn't seem impressed, but to be honest, I didn't really care. She never cared for Denny from the start, so I knew there'd be no explaining the situation to her. "that's not against company policy, is it?"

"No, but wasting time sure is." I only blinked as I turned back to look at her, surprised to see that she didn't sound angry or even annoyed. She seemed tired... although not anywhere near as tired as Denny, but I decided it was better not to ask. "Is Mr. Thompson feeling okay?"

"And why would you want to know?"

"He just looks like shit is all," she explained. "I mean, more than he usually does." I almost laughed when she put it that way, but she didn't really give me a chance to so much as smile. "I can always send him home if he's not feeling well," she offered. "No reason for him to get everyone else sick."

"It's not something you can catch," I said quietly. "He just hasn't been sleeping very well lately is all." It wasn't a total lie since he couldn't, but I figured I didn't have to tell her the reason why. If she really wanted to know that badly, she could probably ask Vaughn about it on her own time. After all, he knew more about it than any of the rest of us involved, and with that kind of hunch, I was almost tempted to ask him about it myself. "Just don't be too hard on him. He's doing his best just like everyone else."

Grace studied me for a minute, her hazel eyes usually dark, but then she shook her head and sighed. "Alright," she agreed. "You better make sure he gets some sleep tonight, though. Last thing I need is him drooling all over my paycheck."

After pouring my friend yet another cup of coffee when the first went cold, I made my way back to his office. denny was laying back in his chair with his eyes closed, but I knew he wasn't sleeping. He had too much on his mind without worrying about whether he could get his work done later. "What're you ding here, Kai?" he asked. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it right now."

"I know," I replied, setting the styrofoam cup on his desk. "That's why I brought you some coffee. I really don't know why they even buy creamer and all that stuff... The only one who bothers is Grace."

"And Vaughn," he corrected me. "He always puts in milk, though." Then he smiled before taking a sip. "I didn't know she did anything with hers... Sure looks black to me."

"That's because she puts in sugar," I explained with a smile of my own. the silence that followed was a fairly comfortable one, but even though it was better than the others we'd had over the past week, it still made me uneasy. "I guess I better be getting back to my office. Gotta call up Aja and see when she'd coming over here."

He nodded, picking up one of Claire's magazines, and even with the pages being folded over, I knew he'd been reading one of her medical journals. Not that it was any of my business. "See you at lunch then."

The rest of the morning went by quickly. There were all the pleasantries to slow it down, of course, but after an hour of speaking with my favorite business partner about our mutual happiness with our past transactions, the next two were much more personal. I knew it was wasting company time, but I didn't really care about any of that. My priorities were with building good relationships with our associates, not running them out the door, and if they wanted me to keep buying cheap and selling high, they would just have to sit back and let me do my work.

"It was good to see you again," I said as I led the woman to the front door. "I know it must be hard for you to leave the office like this."

"You'd be surprised," she chuckled, tucking a long dark lock of hair behind her ear. "My girls over there can handle themselves without me hanging all over them." I just laughed.

"Well, aren't you the lucky one?" Then I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. "You know you could always send them my way," I teased with a grin. "I'd take _real_ good care of them. Promise."

"Oh, I'm sure you would," she chuckled with a sly smile of her own. "Too bad for you they're all taken." Luckily for me, the woman knew I was only joking because when we came to the front desk, I happened to have someone waiting there for me. "And it looks like you have the same problem."

"Popuri, what're you doing here?" She stopped in mid conversation with a disgusted Elli to smile back at me, but when she did, it wasn't the usual one she liked to give me at home. It was too business-like, too fake. Like she was waiting for an interview of some kind.

"Mr. Makani, I thought we agreed for you to use my proper name while at the office," she said quietly. I could only look on in confusion. Just who was she? "Forgive me, Ms. Baker, but it would seem we still have some work to do. I apologize for your company's inconvenience, of course." Was she serious? "I understand if Mr. Makani still has business to attend to , but these surprise visits are a part of our program. After all, no one can be sure if a person has truly reformed their behavior unless taken out of a controlled environment."

"I was not informed of any of this," Elli replied coldly. "Surely you're expected to make an appointment with Ms. Hart concerning the matter." Then she gave her another once over. "Forgive me, but I'm also certain a professional such as yourself would have better sense than to wear such high heels to this meeting of yours."

"Ms. Baker, please," I interrupted. "Dr. Hurst is not really the one to blame for my past behavior, so I must ask you to please forgive her being here. I'll be sure to explain the situation to Ms. Hart later today."

"I'll be sure to tell her that then."

"Can you please show me to your office, Mr. Makani?" Popuri asked. her face still without any expression. "There's something I would like to discuss with you if you would be so kind as to show me to your office."

"Of course," I replied. It was only then that she smiled, but as soon as she turned the corner, she changed her attitude all over again. The first thing she did was giggle before giving me a kiss. "Mind telling me what all that was about? You really had me worried..."

"I know," she chirped. "That's what made it fun."

"Don't you have work today?" She just laughed again, pulling me into my office by my tie before sitting on my desk, but I just pulled back away from her. "What're you doing here?" I continued. "Do you know how much trouble I'm in with you here like this?"

"Relax," she assured me. "I've got this covered. You won't get into any trouble now that she has my card." Just when I was about to ask her what she was talking about, she handed me one. It was hot pink with _Dr. Popuri Hurst, Relationship Specialist_ written in big, bold black letters. "And don't worry about my job. I quit this morning."

"You what?"

"Oh, calm down," Popuri sighed, nudging me with toe of her shoe. "I'm still seeing a few patients, but I'm closed to any new clients. I'm writing now. Not quite as much money in it yet, but I figured I've already made my fortune."

"So you're just going to quit?" I asked, still not quite understanding what she was even thinking. "Can you really do that? What about-"

"Kai, it's fine," she insisted. "All my appointments are going to be taken care of. Besides, this means we'll have a lot more time together. Doesn't that sound like fun?" I just sighed and looked away, realizing then that no matter how hard I tried she would still win. "You know it'll be fun," she purred, leaning into me. "I'll be there just waiting for you... all alone... with nothing to do but think about what I'm going to do with you when you get home..."

"You really are such a tease, aren't you?" I chuckled as I tilted her head back and planted a full kiss on her lips. "Now.. I know you don't have work to do, but I still do. And that means I'll have to see you back at the apartment."

"If I had a door, I'd probably take you up on your offer." With another laugh, she was gone, but I was only able to really breathe again when I heard her give Elli a curt good-bye. "Crazy girl..." I sighed as I made my way around my desk and plopped into my seat. "What am I gonna do with her?"

-/-

Author's Note: No idea why this chapter is all over the place, but it is and it bugs me.


	57. Chapter Fifty Seven

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

"Are you two headed out then?" I looked up from Alisa's book bag to find Chelsea standing over me, her blue eyes still clouded from the night before, and tried my best to smile. It was harder than I thought it would be, but when she smiled back, I didn't really mind. After all, it assured me that at least for now she would be all right. "Do you think you guys can pick me up from the clinic after you go get Alisa?"

"You sure you don't mind?" I asked. It wasn't like Kai didn't know about it- especially since his girlfriend was the one to recommend her doctor- but I still worried that she might be embarrassed. Then again, I didn't want her to think I was. "I'll be sure to ask him for you."

"Thanks." With that, she gave me a kiss just as Alisa came running into the kitchen with her boots in hand, and after slipping them on, she and I were out the door. "Have a good day!"

We were already running late by the time we dropped the little girl off, so it was no surprise that we were behind ten minutes to get to the office. Oddly enough, though, no one bothered to say a word to us as we made our way in. Something that even Kai couldn't help noticing.

"I've got a feeling we've missed something," he said, glancing back at me while punching in. "This place has been too quiet lately, don't you think?"

"Except for Ms. Hart getting after you about Popuri being here the other day," I reminded him. To be honest, I really didn't like her all that much myself, and I hadn't even met her in person. She sounded too much like him, and if there was one thing neither of us needed, it was that. "Did she ever tell you why she came here instead of just calling you?"

"No, but I'm guessing her plans were anything but innocent," he replied with a wicked grin. I just rolled my eyes, but I had to admit I was kind of surprised he turned down her offer. What with Kai being Kai and all. "She really is something else..."

"Just hope she doesn't get you fired," I mumbled to myself as I turned away. I was just lucky he didn't seem to hear me. "I've got to get to that mail room, I guess, so I'll talk to you later."

There wasn't really all that much for me to do, but the truth was I just didn't want to talk to anyone. Having read thorough some of Claire's magazines, I knew it wasn't exactly healthy, but neither was letting myself get working up over it again and again every time someone asked me about what was going on. All I wanted to do was escape for a while and lose myself in my work. Even if it was next to nothing, I still had something to keep me preoccupied.

It was around two that I got the call from the clinic. It couldn't help thinking the worst when it came, but the doctor on the other end seemed calm enough. All he asked was that I come to see him after work. When I asked why, though, he told me we would talk more once I got there. Obviously, I didn't have much to argue with, so I could only agree to see him.

"Welcome, Mr. Thompson, it's good to meet you." The man held out his hand to me, and I almost flinched to feel the coolness of him palm and fingers as we shook. He was an Asian doctor, like so many others, and held his long hair high up in a ponytail which had been tied with a silk ribbon. "I'm sorry if my calling you here caused any problems for you."

"Not really," I assured him as I sat down in front of a large oak desk. If it did anything, his call just made me nervous. Still, that always happened whenever I set foot in a clinic or hospital, so I wasn't all that surprised... even though I was more than a little uncomfortable. "You wanted to ask me about something to do with Chelsea, I'm guessing?"

"I did." He said nothing while reaching into a drawer on the cabinet behind him. His movements were slow but determined, his expression never changing, but when he opened the file that he drew out, he frowned. "Well, you're in for some serious times ahead, Mr. Thompson. While your wife seems to be suffering from stress and anxiety, at this time I am ready to diagnose her as manic depressive II. Also more commonly known as bi-polar."

"Doesn't this go again patient confidentiality?"

"Perhaps... but if I may be so forward, I'm more concerned with your records than those of Mrs. Thompson at the present moment." My body became rigid, but I kept quiet. Of course, in order to say something, I would have to be able to think first. "Are you going to be all right, Mr. Thompson? You seem to have grown quite pale."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "I just... wasn't expecting for any of this to be about me." After all, what had I really done? I wasn't all that familiar with the disorder, but I was sure that it couldn't be triggered by life changes. At least not the illness itself... which meant I might have done something to upset her in some way. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought. "What is it then?"

"Well, as I'm quite sure you know, the only available treatment is the use of prescribed medications." I felt my stomach turn at the thought. "However, it has come to my attention that you yourself had once been a prescribed drug user. Is that correct?"

It was just like all the life had been drawn out of me. I lay limp in the chair for a moment and stared at the man still sitting across from me, but I still had no way to think for myself. Even though I knew he wasn't trying to judge me for how I had been in the past- and a teenager at that- my mind was reeling with self-doubt, and I could only wonder what I must have looked like to him. Not to mention there was the worry that Chelsea might be denied what she needed most...

"Mr. Thompson?"

"Yes, I was." _ But that was a long time ago, wasn't it?_ "I hope that won't be a problem for her, though. This is the only treatment available to her, right?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Thompson," he assured me. "I know this matter has been left to rest for many years now, but I wanted to be sure you would be comfortable with such things in your home. After all, your records also state that since the time of your emergency situation, you have not accepted any prescribed medications."

"This is about my wife," I reminded him calmly as I stood from my chair. The man raised a thin eyebrow then, but I only offered him my hand. "Now... if that was all we needed to discuss, doctor, I do believe my wife is waiting for me outside."

-/-

"So how'd it go?"

I could only offer the woman a slight smile as I stepped into the lobby to meet her, but it was not long before I felt the need to kiss her on the forehead. Chelsea seemed surprised at first, but then she began to chuckle quietly. Something that assured me all the more than things were falling into place. However, I soon felt her grip my sleeve tightly in her hand. Not only that, but when I looked back at her again, I could see she was trying not to cry. "What's wrong?"

"You're not mad?" she asked quietly. I just stared. "Are you?"

"Why would I be mad?" It wasn't as if she could help what was happening to her mind, and yet a part of me wondered if that was the reason behind her sudden change in behavior. "It's not your fault, you know... Besides, if you're worried about money, I'm sure my insurance can-"

"What are you even talking about?" We looked at one another, each searching the other's face for an answer, but she was the only one who understood what happened. "He didn't tell you... did he?" When I shrugged my shoulders, Chelsea sighed and shook her head. "Denny, I..." Her voice trailed off from there, but after one last deep breath, she explained all she could. "Yes, I'm sick, but there's more. A lot more. And if you're mad, it's really okay. Because it's my fault. But I..."

"Just tell me," I sighed, closing my eyes. "It's not like I've ever-"

"I'm pregnant."

My mind stopped, and once again, I found myself only able to stare back at her. "You're what?"

"You heard her." I glanced up to find Kai leaning up against the well beside the hospital doors with his arms crossed over his chest. From where I was standing, I could only guess how he felt, but whatever it was, it was hardly a happy one. "And from what she's told me, I'm guessing you only have six months to plan on that baby."

"Wait... so you told him about this first?"

"I didn't mean to," she insisted, trying to hide her face. "It just... came out, I guess." I said nothing as I tried to collect my thoughts, but in the end, I decided there was no way for me to take so much in at once. First, confronting my own past, and then being faced with an even more uncertain future... "I'm sorry. I knew I should've waited to tell you, but with things being so far along as they are, I didn't know what to do."

"No, it's better that I know now," I sighed, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened when I did so, but as I buried my face in her hair, I felt her relax. "I just wish I knew a few things ahead of time, you know? Maybe be on top of things for once..."

"Yeah, but I'm starting to think that's just how you two are," my friend chuckled, picking himself up off the wall. "Now. I hate to put a step to all this, but we've got another kid to pick up. You know- the one who was here first?"

"Of course," Chelsea agreed with a nervous laugh. "We should go. Mrs. Trill is probably wondering where on earth I am."

As she left to join him by the doors, though, I felt even more lost. I had a wife with a mental illness, and in the same day, I was suddenly aware that I was going to be a father. Me, the one with a past drug problem, was going to be a father.

And just like that, I was losing all over again.


	58. Chapter Fifty Eight

**Chapter Fifty-Eight**

"Good morning, beauti- Oh, it's just you." I only grumbled as I shuffled past Mark and into the kitchen and headed towards the coffee maker. When I got there, though, it wasn't there. Instead there was some black contraption sitting in between the sink and the toaster. "Oh, I threw that old thing away," he told me from the couch where he was sitting with a cup of his own. "Expresso tastes better anyway, and it's got a better kick, too."

"Where the hell is my damn coffee?" I muttered, glaring at the young man. Before he could try to answer, I felt a small tug on my arm. "What now?"

"Just your coffee, Gray," Claire assured me with a smile. "I saved it from the trash before the garbage man came." After passing the warm mug to me, she immediately turned to her brother and put her hands on her hips. "As for you, Mister, you should know better than to throw things away when it's not your house." Even in my half dazed state at five in the morning, I still thought she sounded like a mother scolding a child. "It might be an old coffee maker, but it works. That's all that matters."

"Can we at least buy a new one?" he whined. "It's supposed to be _white._ Not yellow."

"It's fuckin' old, alright?" I growled, slamming my empty mug back down on the counter. "The damn thing's old 'cause it's a good piece of shit." Mark just stared at me at first, but then he started to laugh. "What the hell is your-"

"You really aren't much of a morning person, are you?" he chuckled. Claire only sighed and shook her head, but I could see the smile that was growing on her face. Not that it put me in any better of a mood, of course. "Don't worry, though. I've got a great way to wake you up."

"Oh, that's right," his sister began. "You wanted to take him to breakfast, didn't you, Mark?"

"Wait... why didn't I hear anything about this?" The two only glanced at each other, but while he was grinning, she was biting her lip. "What did you have in mind exactly?"

"Relax, Gray," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's just an omelette and a side of hash browns for Christ's sake... Of course, it's gonna be just us since _someone_ decided it cleaning this place was more important, but I guess we'll survive, won't we?"

"Don't worry so much," Claire agreed. "I told him how much you liked Shirley's, so I know you'll be happy with the food at least." Again, they looked at one another, but they still tried to act like nothing had happened. "Besides, it'll be easier to get things done around here if you two are out on the town."

"Out on the town?" Before I could even figure out where she got to talking like that, I was being pushed out the door and into the white car parked out front. All I knew then was that I hated that kid more than anyone or anything, and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind. One that would wipe the smirk right off his face once and for all. "What the hell are you two planning here?" I asked. Mark didn't say a word while pulling away from the house, but after letting him drive a ways, I snapped. "I asked you a question."

"And I heard it," he giggled. That giggle stopped me for a minute, but as soon as I raised a brow, he jumped right back into another conversation. "Anyway, I was just thinking we needed a little alone time with just us guys. I mean, I _love_ Claire, but you've got to admit spending that much time with a woman can be tiring. Don't you think?"

"You're hardly what I would call a man." Mark just laughed. That was before he almost ran past a damn stop sign and stamped on the breaks, just about sending me through the windshield. "What the hell are you trying to do? Watch the damn road, will you?"

We drove on in silence after that. Not that I minded since it was a rare occasion for him to be quiet. He only spoke once, and even then it was just a question of where to turn. Even without him trying to kill us, though, I still breathed a sigh of relief to finally step out of the car and onto the sidewalk.

"This is Shirley's then?" I only gave a gruff 'yes' before starting toward the door. "It's cute." I rolled my eyes, but things only seemed to get worse when we made it inside. All it took was one look at Muffy, and he was off. "Oh, and you must be Shirley," he chuckled, offering her his hand. "Working here when you could be taking it easy... Now that's what I call dedication to good business."

"Wow, Gray," the waitress teased while turning her attention over to me. "Where'd you pick this one up?"

"He's Mark, Claire's little brother," I explained. As soon as I said 'little,' the young man's face went red, but I didn't even crack a smile. "I don't know what he's getting, but just put me down for the usual... if it's not a problem, that is."

"Not a problem at all," she agreed, slipping into the kitchen. "Just grab yourself a menu, hun, and I'll be right there to take his order."

Although I didn't even hesitate to pick out my favorite table and plop down down in my seat, Mark took his sweet time looking around the place first. He examined the posters and records plastered all over the walls, and when he came to jukebox, he even started to flip through the songs. That was until I told him to park his ass and pick out some damn food.

"You don't have to be so nasty about it," he said, sliding into his seat across from me. I might have glared at him, but he didn't so much as flinch. He looked just as relaxed as ever, and it was all I could do not to snarl at him even more than I already had. "You really don't like secrets, do you?"

"I don't see why I should." After all, he had been living at my house a lot longer than he was welcome to, so this whole thing was just about the last damn straw for me. I wasn't one to like eating with people I didn't know, either, which just made the situation more uncomfortable. "What do you two have cooked up anyway?" I asked, taking a moment to thank Muffy for my coffee. "Maybe you can pull that sneaky stuff off, but Claire can't."

Mark seemed to ignore me as he placed an order for some yogurt and granola, but after our waitress had gone, he just grinned. "Aw, don't be like that, Gray," he assured me. "She has no idea why I asked you to come here with me, so just take it easy on the poor girl." Then he paused and frowned. "Of course, I am saying all of this for her, so you might want to keep that in mind, too."

"How about telling me what you want already?" The young man stayed quiet while staring at me, but I found it hard to meet his gaze. There was something unnerving about it which made my skin crawl. Maybe it was just because he looked so much like his sister, but a part of me was sure that wasn't it. No, it was because he had something to say about me. "If you don't have anything to-"

"Just when are you going to ask her to marry you?"

-/-

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry that this chapter is terrible. I had something epic in mind when I first started writing it a month ago, but after reading my notes, I just couldn't bring myself to drag this scene out any further than this.

However, I feel I must warn some of you that the next chapter is the last. The rest of what happens will be in the sequel which will be called _Overtime,_ and even then, this story will only be written at some point next year. This is not because I have lost interest in this universe, but rather, there are just some other things I want to do and can't because I feel such a strong need to finish this first.

All the same, I hope you still look forward to the last chapter and the sequel that is to one day come! :)


	59. Chapter Fifty Nine

**Chapter Fifty-Nine**

"Um, so what did you two talk about yesterday?" As soon as I asked the question, Mark and Gray both sat down their forks and stared at the wall behind me. I had thought they had been acting strangely since then, but now I knew it for sure. "Are you guys not hungry?"

"That's not it," Gray muttered. I waited for him to go on, but he said nothing else. He just looked back down at his plate and began to eat again. All without even meeting me eye to eye.

"What is it then?" He tried to hide it, but I was sure he had jabbed Mark in the side given how the other jerked in his seat. To my surprise, my brother even glared at him for it, but after he did, he was just as quick to grin back at me. "Are you going to tell me, or is this one of those guy things?"

Gray all but choked on his stuffed potato when I said it, but soon enough he was shaking his head as he coughed and eventually had to leave the room. That, of course, meant my brother and I were alone, and for whatever reason, I felt uncomfortable.

"Don't worry about him," Mark assured me. "He's just in a little bit of shock is all. I'd tell you to give him time, but you know him better than I do."

"You would think so." I did my best to understand Gray's quirks as they showed themselves, but even after all this time of being together, I still found it difficult to reason with him. He hated to argue with me, so more often than not, he would just leave the room like he had done so just a moment ago. "Did you two get into an argument?"

"No, no," he insisted, glancing back towards the bedroom door. "I just asked him something he wasn't ready for, so I wouldn't worry about Gray for now." The man in question stepped back into the kitchen, his face still red, but he didn't say a word to either of us. "Oh, that's right," my brother continued, turning his attention back to me. "I actually wanted to ask you something, too."

"Right now?" Mark shook his head. "Well, then when are you going to ask me?"

"I was thinking about later tonight," he explained with a smile, "but that wouldn't be a good idea, would it? I mean, you do have work tomorrow, and as much as I don't understand it, I know you wouldn't want to miss that."

"No, I wouldn't." After all, it seemed silly to me that we had to talk about it in private, and I wasn't about to miss work for the sake of whatever it was they had apparently talked about.

-/-

I had tried to get Gray to tell me just what was going on, but whatever I asked, he would become unusually quiet. Oddly enough, he was never irritable about it, but he did look embarrassed. Not that it was a very hard thing to do.

"Like I said, Claire, don't worry about him," Mark kept saying. "He's a grown man. If I said something I shouldn't have, he'd tell you." I did my best to trust my brother, but the whole time, I kept wondering just what they were planning between them. Of course, it didn't help when just what they were planning to worry. Mark kept telling me not to fret. Then it was all I could do.

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest week of the past week, I was let in on their little secret.

Mark, being the showman that he was, had to make a grand show of it. There was a show, a dinner, and even a limo from the restaurant to the club- all of which made my head spin. However, if I looked like I was surprised, he didn't mention it. He would just smile as always, and we were off to whatever was next. The club was certainly the most unusual thing I had ever seen, though. To be honest, I was startled by what went on there, but my date for the night just laughed.

"Come on, Claire, there's nothing to be afraid of," he chuckled. "This is supposed to be fun."

"But I'm not..."

"You're not what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I immediately looked down at my mini dress, and as soon as I did, I was sure my face was the same shade of pink as the fabric. "Oh, you look fabulous, so don't even go there."

"I thought you hated that word," I teased him. My brother worked hard not to smile, but not surprisingly, he couldn't quite manage it. He seemed so like his usual self that it was hard for me to imagine it had been so long since we had actually sat down and talked. "Now, what did you say to Gray that made him so upset? He seems... off to me."

"You really are-"

"Worried, yes," I agreed with a sigh. It was really a wonder that we could even hear each other speak, but just as I was about to ask him if we could go to some place quieter, a drink was put in front of me. "What's this?"

"A Shirley Temple," Mark replied. He nudged the glass toward me, but when he did, my expression must have changed into something ugly. "Oh, relax," he said and rolled his eyes. "Just because Gray doesn't drink, that doesn't mean you can't." After seeing I didn't agree, he tried again. "It tastes good, you know."

"Maybe that's the problem."

"You really know how to ruin a good time," he huffed. "Do you honestly think Gray became an alcoholic after having one drink? No, it takes time and one beer right after another until you can't even think anymore, and apparently, he-"

"Are you going to tell me what you two talked about or not?" I hadn't meant to snap at him, but even with that being the case, my brother certainly looked surprised. Not that I wasn't as well, of course. "I'm sorry," I murmured, feeling my face warm. "I didn't mean to get so upset."

"No, I went too far with that one," Mark insisted. He took a sip out of his own glass, but not being familiar with such things, I had no idea what kind of drink was in it. However, just when I was about to try my own as an apology, he gave me my answer. "All I did was ask him when he was going to marry you. That's all."

"You_ what?"_ He blinked. "How could you ask him something like that?"

"I figured it was about time someone started asking," he replied with a shrug and a well meaning smile. He was so proud of himself, but all I could do was sigh and shake my head. "What? You never thought about it?"

"We haven't even been together for a year," I reminded him. "Mark... this isn't something you try to rush." He nodded his head, but I had a feeling he didn't understand what I was trying to say. For someone like him, a performer, it was only the logical thing to do. After all, that's what happened in the movies, wasn't it? "I mean, I would like to, but-"

"Then you ask him," he suggested. "This isn't the 50's anymore, you know."

"But I..." My face turned red again. "Well, I really like it when the man does these things." I knew it was old-fashioned, but while I never thought of romance and the like all too often, I still knew it was just one of those few princess kind of things I wanted. "If we do get married, though, it'll be when we're ready."

"Hate to say it, sis, but that sounds pretty boring to me. With him doing it anyway." Mark laughed as he said it, but one look at my face was apparently enough for him to let it all go. "Okay, fine," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Have it your way."

"Of course," I agreed. With that, I pushed away my drink, and as far as I was concerned, we were done. Not so much because I was mad, but because I felt like all the life had just been drained out of me. No wonder Gray had felt like he did after hearing my brother even suggest the idea...

Which is why I didn't understand just why I kept thinking about it all the way home.

-/-

**Author's Note:** Um, I think my eagerness to end this story finally showed itself... but I really did try to give the story a decent ending while making sure there was enough to continue in a sequel. With that, here's not the sixty chapters to come!


End file.
